How to apply for US DV Lottery Visa Program?
How to apply for US DV Lottery Visa Program? According to The Immigration Act of 1990, USA established the Diversity Visa lottery (DV) program, where immigrant visas would be announced in an annual lottery. This DV lottery program authorizes to citizens of countries with low immigration rates to the United States; to get chance to apply for a U.S. immigrant visa.
Step by step procedure to apply for Diversity Visa Lottery Program
How to apply for US DV Lottery Visa Program? If you want to apply for a DV lottery visa program of United States, then you have to perform the following steps:
- Submit an entry
- Selection of applicants
- If you selected
- Confirm your Qualifications
- Submit your immigrant Visa and Registration application
- Submit required supporting Documents
- Interview
- Prepare for the Interview
- Applicant Interview
- After the Interview
Let us discuss the each step in detail:
Submit an entry
There is a limited time under which registration is done for applying for diversity visa lottery program of United States. For this purpose Department of Sates notifies detailed information and instructions for applying and entering the United States DV lottery program. Specific dates are announced during which you have to enter yourself for this purpose.
It must be noted that no late entries and manual entries are accepted. You have to enter all entries electronically on website of E-Diversity Visa Program. The law allows only one entry by or for each person during each registration period. Complete instructions that how to submit online entries can be found HERE (Instructions for online entry).
After submitting online entry, you will get a confirmation. Confirmation will include your name and a unique confirmation number. Print this confirmation screen for your records for future use.
Selection of applicants
Every year, the Department of State does a random selection of Diversity Immigrant Visa (DV) applicants, depending on allocations of available visas in each country, from all registered entries.
If you are selected
These entrants who are selected are then instructed to complete the online DS-260 application. It is done to schedule an interview appointment at the appropriate U.S. Embassy or Consulate.
When your entry is selected, you will be directed to a confirmation page that will give you more instructions. It will also include information about fees related with immigration to the United States.
Selection does not guarantee that you will receive a visa. To receive a DV to immigrate to the United States, selectees must still fulfill all eligibility requirements given under the U.S. law.
Confirm your Qualifications
The Diversity Immigrant Visa lottery Program needs that the main DV applicant must have the following:
- a high school education, or its equivalent,
- or two years of qualifying work experience as defined under provisions of U.S. law.
If you do not qualifying for the above, then you are not eligible for a diversity visa. But remember this that only you, as the principal applicant, must meet above requirements. Your family (spouse and children) do not have to meet these requirement.
Do not apply for this type of Visa if you do not full fill the requirements because any fees you pay for this visa application will not be refunded.
Submit your immigrant Visa and Registration application
Now the applicant who is applying for a diversity visa program must complete Form DS-260. Where you will need to enter your DV case number into the online DS-260 form to access and update the information.
On the Sign and Submit page of the DS-260, you are required to re-enter your DV case number without the zeros (e.g. if the case number is 2023AF0000012345, enter ‘2023AF12345’). If you enter the full case number with zeros that will generate a validation error.
After submitting the Form DS-260 online, you need to take print of the confirmation page. After this you must bring the confirmation page to your visa interview.
Submit required supporting Documents
After KCC receives and processes the DS-260 application form you will receive instructions for how to submit required supporting documents.
Moreover, you will have to bring the original documents to your interview with the consular officer. You need to begin this process early. Bring the original documents to your visa interview at the U.S. embassy or consulate, along with any translations required.
The applicant (all family) will need to submit scanned copies and any required translations of original documents or certified copies of the documents listed below from an appropriate office, authority, or issuing entity in your country.
Following is the list of required documents:
- Birth Certificates
- Court and Prison Records
- Military Records
- Police Certificates
- Photocopy of valid passport biographic Data Page
Moreover, civil and personal documents may differ from country to country, depending on availability.
Interview
You will receive an email and the e-mail will guide you to log into the Entrant Status Check on the Electronic Diversity Visa (E-DV) website, by entering your DV entry confirmation number. It will provide you the date, time and location of your interview. You need to Print this information for your interview.
You as well as your spouse and children who are applying for a diversity immigrant visa will need to present at the interview.
Prepare for the Interview
After schedule provided to you for an interview then you need to follow the below things also to prepare for your interview:
- Carefully read the date, time and location of your immigrant visa interview.
- Read carefully Review U.S. Embassy or Consulate Interview Instructions.
- You need to Schedule and Complete a Medical Examination.
- Now get Photographs and all remaining required documents (Appointment information, DS-260 confirmation page, Passport(s), and Original documents or certified copies).
Applicant Interview
A consular officer will interview you (& family members) and will examine whether or not you are eligible to receive an immigrant visa. During interview process, they will take digital fingerprint scans.
After the Interview
When an interview ends at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate, the consular officer will inform you whether your visa application approved or denied.
If Visa application approved – On approval, they will inform how and when your passport and visa will return to you.
If Visa application denied – On denial of application, they will inform why you are not eligible to receive a visa.
