Please read the following information, and click the link at the bottom of this post, which will direct you to step by step instructions for how to submit an application for DV-2017.
The Department of State has announced that the 2017 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, known as DV-2017, will be exclusively electronic. Applicants should apply as soon as possible, during the above dates, because high traffic due to overwhelming demand will cause system delays, particularly in the last few days of the registration period. No applications will be accepted after 12 PM EST on November 3, 2015 – regardless of system delays.
Diversity Visas will only be available to applicants who are not from “high admission” countries. The Department of Homeland Security processed the number of applicants over the past five years to see which countries are eligible. Countries from which there are more than 50,000 immigrants, will be excluded from DV-2017, and include include Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (mainland born), Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, the Phillippins, South Korea, the UK and dependent territories, and Vietnam.
The process of electronic application for the 2017 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program is known as E-DV. In an ongoing effort to minimize fraud, the entire process will be electronic, including the DOS notifying applicants of their selection and visa interview appointment, through DOS’ own web-based tools. No paper applications for the lottery will be accepted. The Department has established a website for the submission of E-DV entries at www.dvlottery.state.gov. The law allows only one entry by or for each person during each registration period. The Department uses sophisticated technology to detect multiple entries. Entrants who submit more than one entry will be disqualified.
No hard copy letters or notifications will be sent to successful applicants by mail or via email. When an entry is registered through E-DV, a confirmation page with the entrant’s name and confirmation number will be displayed. This page should be printed, as the confirmation number will be needed to view status updates and IV interview information if the applicant is selected. Should the applicant misplace their confirmation number, it can be retrieved through a link on the Entry Status Check page – www.dvlottery.state.gov – by entering email address, last name, and year of birth.
Applicants will need to go to www.dvlottery.state.gov and enter their DV-2017 entry confirmation number into the Entrant Status Check, in order to see updates on their application – including whether their entry was selected. Those who are selected must respond to the notification instructions provided on the E-DV selectee confirmation page on Entrant Status Check in order to view notification of their scheduled immigrant visa appointment. All data and notifications posted to Entrant Status Check for DV-2017 will remain available until at least September 30, 2017. Therefore, applicants should keep their confirmation number and keep checking back until this date, even if they are not initially selected.
Entrant Status Check will become available on May 3, 2016. This tool will instruct selected applicants in the next steps to take, and will direct them to the “Instructions for Selectees” web pages, accessible through dvselectee.state.gov. If an applicant is selected, and responds to the instructions through Entrant Status Check, they will be sent an email letting them know that a visa appointment has been scheduled. The email will direct the selectee to log in and view the details of their appointment, including the date and time, on Entrant Status Check.
Click here to view the DV instructions bulletin in English.
Other translations of the bulletin can be found at this link: http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/immigrate/diversity-visa/instructions.html.
An instructional video containing step by step instructions of how to submit an application for DV-2017 can be viewed at https://youtu.be/tOQlh2d2EbQ.
