Diversity Visa Lottery Information (DV-2010)

Some countries have a few numbers of people entering the USA as immigrants. In order to give opportunities to these people, a set number of immigrant visas are divided among countries with low admission rates. A lottery is held and designated by the USA Secretary of State. Each interested alien can join the lottery selection process by sending in one petition / application. If the alien's name is chosen, an immigrant visa number is made available. About 50,000 persons, both principal applicants and their spousesand children, will be registered. The registration period ends on December 1 2008. Registrations arriving to us after this date will not be submitted.

Natives (someone born) of the following countries are not eligible to apply because they sent a total of more than 50,000 immigrants to the U.S. in the previous five years:

BRAZIL, CANADA, CHINA (mainland-born), COLOMBIA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, EL SALVADOR, HAITI, INDIA, JAMAICA, MEXICO, PAKISTAN, PHILIPPINES, PERU, POLAND, RUSSIA, SOUTH KOREA, UNITED KINGDOM (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, and VIETNAM. Persons born in Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR and Taiwan are eligible.

There is no minimum age to apply for the program, but an applicant must have EITHER a high school education or its equivalent, defined as successful completion of a 12-year course of elementary and secondary education; OR two years of work experience within the past five years in an occupation requiring at least two years of training or experience to perform.

Your spouse and unmarried children under the age of 21 are automatically entitled to the same status as you.  To doubling their chance to win, a husband a and wife may each submit one lottery application. If either is selected in the lottery, the other would be entitled to derivative status. Children over the age of 21 and married children under the age of 21 must file separate lottery entries. They can not be listed on their parent's entry forms. 

You must list ALL your children who are unmarried and under 21 years of age, whether they are your natural children, your spouse’s children by a previous marriage, or children you have formally adopted in accordance with the laws of your country, unless a child is already a U.S. citizen or Legal Permanent Resident. List all children under 21 years of age even if they no longer reside with you or you do not intend for them to immigrate under the DV program.

Green Card Lottery winners are randomly selected by computer drawing and will be notified by mail.The State Department will notify the winners that they have won the opportunity to apply for a permanent resident visa allowing them to live and work in the U.S.A. and later even apply for U.S citizenship. Applicants who are not selected will receive no response to their entry. Only those who are selected will be informed.

The Kentucky Consular Center has in past years rejected millions of applications that were not submitted correctly. We believe this service will be of interest to people who are concerned about whether their application is being submitted properly. An estimated one-third of applications (2,9 millions) for the lottery are rejected because they are submitted incorrectly.

If you would like to submit your Green Card Lottery application by us, please note the following before mailing the completed entry form to us.

1. Fill out the entry form and sign it. You will find the form "here".

2. Include a recent 50 mm by 50 mm passport style photograph of the applicant and his/her spouse and each child under 21 years of age, including all natural children as well as all legally-adopted and stepchildren, excepting a child who is already a U.S. citizen or a Legal Permanent Resident, even if a child no longer resides with the applicant or is not intended to immigrate under the DV program, must be submitted electronically with the Diversity Visa Entry Form. Group or family photos will not be accepted; there must be a separate photo for each family member.

The image can be either in color or grayscale (colored photographs are preferred) but must have a light background. Photos in which the person being photographed is wearing sunglasses, hats or other paraphernalia which detracts from the face will not be accepted. Photos of applicants wearing head coverings are only acceptable due to religious beliefs, and even then, may not obscure any portion of the face of the applicant. Person being photographed must directly face the camera. Photos of military, airline, or other personnel wearing hats will not be accepted. Print the name and date of birth of each family member on the back of each photograph. Important: You can see the photo requirements "here".

Since the images must be in computer file (digital Electronic Joint Photographic Experts Group, JPEG format), we scan your photografs to the correct format and will return your paper photographs to you together with the receipt of the completed and properly submited EDV entry form.

3. Pay the fee via one of the following options:

Its ok with us if you prefer to enclose the currency with your application but please remember to send the letter as "registered mail" and take a receipt.

We will charge a fee of $100 for an individual application. 
For families, we charge a fee of $150 (spouses and children under 21).
To doubling their chance to win a husband a and wife may submit one lottery application each. In this case we will charge $200 for double family applications (One for the wife, husband  and childrens under 21 and one for the husband, wife and children under 21). If either is selected in the lottery the other would be entitled to derivative status. 

Applicants over the age of 21 must send a seperate application. 

During the last 15 days before the lottery registration deadline (November 18 and later),our fees will rise to $110 for an individual petition, $160 for family petition and $210 for double family petition. Entries received without payment will not be processed.

PLEASE NOTE THAT WE WILL NOT REFUND PAYMENTS AFTER YOUR LOTTERY APPLICATION HAS BEEN SENT TO THE KENTUCKY CONSULAR CENTER. We will send you a copy of the electronic confirmation notice from The Department of State upon receipt of a completed EDV Entry form.

4. Place your entry form, photograph(s) and correct payment in a envelope and mail it to:

ISE
BOX 79
741 22 KNIVSTA
SWEDEN