INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE 2006 DIVERSITY IMMIGRANT VISA PROGRAM (DV-2006)
The congressionally mandated Diversity Immigrant Visa
Program is administered on an annual basis by the Department of State and
conducted under the terms of Section 203(c) of the Immigration and Nationality
Act (INA). Section 131 of the Immigration Act of 1990 (Pub. L. 101-649) amended
INA 203 to provide for a new class of immigrants known as "diversity immigrants"
(DV immigrants). The Act makes available 50,000 permanent resident visas
annually to persons from countries with low rates of immigration to the United
States. The instructions for the 2006 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program are also
available in PDF Format.
The annual DV program makes permanent residence visas available to persons
meeting the simple, but strict, eligibility requirements. Applicants for
Diversity Visas are chosen by a computer-generated random lottery drawing. The
visas, however, are distributed among six geographic regions with a greater
number of visas going to regions with lower rates of immigration, and with no
visas going to citizens of countries sending more than 50,000 immigrants to the
U.S. in the past five years. Within each region, no one country may receive more
than seven percent of the available Diversity Visas in any one year.
For DV-2006, natives 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:
CANADA, CHINA (mainland-born), COLOMBIA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, EL
SALVADOR, HAITI, INDIA, JAMAICA, MEXICO, PAKISTAN, PHILIPPINES, 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.
ENTRIES FOR THE DV-2006 DIVERSITY VISA LOTTERY MUST BE SUBMITTED
ELECTRONICALLY BETWEEN FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2004 AND FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 2005.
APPLICANTS MAY ACCESS THE ELECTRONIC DIVERSITY VISA ENTRY FORM AT
'WWW.DVLOTTERY.STATE.GOV' DURING THE REGISTRATION PERIOD BEGINNING NOON
NOVEMBER5. PAPER ENTRIES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. APPLICANTS ARE STRONGLY
ENCOURAGED TO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST WEEK OF THE REGISTRATION PERIOD TO ENTER.
HEAVY DEMAND MAY RESULT IN DELAYS. NO ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER NOON ON
JANUARY 7, 2005.
REQUIREMENTS FOR ENTRY
- Applicant must be a native of one of the countries listed beginning
on page 13. See "List Of Countries By Region Whose Natives
Qualify."
Native of a country whose natives qualify:
In most cases this means the country in which the applicant was born.
However, there are two other ways a person may be able to qualify. First, if a
person was born in a country whose natives are ineligible but his/her spouse was
born in a country whose natives are eligible, such person can claim the spouse's
country of birth provided both the applicant and spouse are issued visas and
enter the U.S. simultaneously. Second, if a person was born in a country whose
natives are ineligible, but neither of his/her parents was born
there or resided there at the time of his/her birth, such person may claim
nativity in one of the parents' country of birth if it is a country whose
natives qualify for the DV-2006 program.
- Applicant must meet either the education or training
requirement of the DV program.
Education or Training:
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. The U.S. Department of Labor's O*Net OnLine database will be used to
determine qualifying work experience.
If the applicant cannot meet these requirements, he or she should NOT
submit an entry to the DV program.
The term "country" in this notice includes
countries, economies and other jurisdictions explicitly listed beginning on page
13.
PROCEDURES FOR SUBMITTING AN ENTRY TO DV-2006
- The Department of State will only accept completed Electronic
Diversity Visa Entry Forms submitted electronically at www.dvlottery.state.gov during the
registration period beginning at 12:00 pm EST (GMT-5) on November 5, 2004 and
ending at 12:00 pm EST (GMT-5) on January 7, 2005.
- All entries by an applicant will be disqualified if more than ONE entry for
the applicant is received, regardless of who submitted the entry. Applicants may
prepare and submit their own entries, or have someone submit the entry for them.
- Successfully registered entries will result in the display of a confirmation
screen containing the applicant's name, date of birth, country of chargeability,
and a date/time stamp. The applicant may print this confirmation screen for
his/her records using the print function of their web browser.
- Paper entries will not be accepted.
- The entry will be disqualified if all required photos are not submitted.
Recent photographs 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 (except 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 Electronic Diversity Visa Entry Form. Group or family photos will not
be accepted; there must be a separate photo for each family member.
A
digital photo (image) of each applicant, his/her spouse, and children must be
submitted on-line with the EDV Entry Form. The image file can be produced either
by taking a new digital photograph or by scanning a photographic print with a
digital scanner.
Instructions for Submitting a Digital Photo (Image)
The image file must adhere to the following compositional specifications and
technical specifications and can be produced in one of the following ways:
- Taking a new digital image.
- Using a digital scanner to scan a submitted photograph.
Compositional Specifications: The submitted
digital image must conform to the following compositional specifications or the
entry will be disqualified.
- Head Position
- Person being photographed must directly face the camera.
- Head of the person should not be tilted up, down, or to the side.
- Head of the person should cover about 50% of the area of the photo.
- Background
- Person being photographed should be in front of a neutral, light-colored
background.
- Dark or patterned backgrounds are not acceptable.
- Focus
- Decorative Items
- Photos in which the person being photographed is wearing sunglasses or other
items that detract from the face will not be accepted.
- Head Coverings and Hats
- Photos of applicants wearing head coverings or hats are only acceptable due
to religious beliefs, and even then, may not obscure any portion of the face of
the applicant.
- Photos of applicants with tribal or other headgear not specifically
religious in nature will not be accepted.
- Photos of military, airline, or other personnel wearing hats will not be
accepted.
Technical Specifications: The submitted
digital photograph must conform to the following specifications or the system
will automatically reject the EDV Entry Form and notify the sender.
- Taking a New Digital Image. If a new digital image is
taken, it must meet the following specifications:
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The image must be in the Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) format.
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The maximum image file size will be sixty-two thousand five hundred (62,500)
bytes. |
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320 pixels wide by 240 pixels high. |
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24-bit color or 8-bit color or 8-bit grayscale. [Note: Monochrome images
(2-bit color depth) will not be accepted.]
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- Scanning a Submitted Photograph. Before a photographic
print is scanned, it must meet the following specifications:
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2 inches by 2 inches (50mm x 50mm) square. |
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The image must be either in color or grayscale.
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The photographic print must also meet the Compositional Specifications. If
the photographic print meets the Print Size, Print Color, and Compositional
Specifications, scan the print using the following scanner specifications.
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Scanned at a resolution of 150 dots per inch (dpi). |
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The image must be in the Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) format.
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The maximum image file size will be sixty-two thousand five hundred (62,500)
bytes. |
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300 by 300 pixels. |
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24-bit color or 8-bit color or 8-bit grayscale. [Note: Monochrome images
(2-bit color depth) will not be accepted.]
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THE ENTRY
There is only one way to enter the DV-2006 lottery. Applicants must
submit an Electronic Diversity Visa Entry Form (EDV Entry Form), which is
accessible only at www.dvlottery.state.gov. Failure to
complete the form in its entirety will disqualify the applicant's entry.
Applicants will be asked to submit the following information on the EDV Entry
Form.
- FULL NAME - Last/Family Name, First Name, Middle name
- DATE OF BIRTH - Day, Month, Year
- GENDER - Male or Female
- CITY/TOWN OF BIRTH
- COUNTRY OF BIRTH - The name of the country should be that
which is currently in use for the place where the applicant was born.
- APPLICANT PHOTOGRAPH - See page 2 for information on photo
specifications.
- MAILING ADDRESS - Address, City/Town,
District/Country/Province/State, Postal Code/Zip Code, Country
- PHONE NUMBER (optional)
- E-MAIL ADDRESS (optional)
- COUNTRY OF ELIGIBILITY IF THE APPLICANT'S NATIVE COUNTRY IS
DIFFERENT FROM COUNTRY OF BIRTH - If the applicant is claiming nativity
in a country other than his/her place of birth, this information must be
indicated on the entry.
- MARITAL STATUS - Unmarried, Married, Divorced, Widowed,
Legally Separated
- NUMBER OF CHILDREN THAT ARE UNMARRIED AND UNDER 21 YEARS OF AGE E
Except children that are either U.S. legal permanent residents or
American citizens.
- SPOUSE INFORMATION - Name, Date of Birth, Gender, City/Town
of Birth, Country of Birth, Photograph
- CHILDREN INFORMATION - Name, Date of Birth, Gender,
City/Town of Birth, Country of Birth, Photograph
NOTE:
Entries must include the name, date and place of birth of the
applicant's spouse and all natural children, as well as all legally-adopted and
stepchildren, who are unmarried and under the age of 21 (except children who are
already U.S. citizens or Legal Permanent Residents), even if you are no longer
legally married to the child's parent, and even if the spouse or child does not
currently reside with you and/or will not immigrate with you. Note that married
children and children 21 years or older will not qualify for the diversity visa.
Failure to list all children will result in your disqualification for the visa.
(See question 11 on the list of Frequently Asked Questions.)
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SELECTION OF APPLICANTS
Applicants will be selected at random by computer from among all
qualified entries. Those selected will be notified by mail between May
and July 2005 and will be provided further instructions, including information
on fees connected with immigration to the U.S. Persons not selected will
NOT receive any notification. U.S. embassies and consulates will not be
able to provide a list of successful applicants. Spouses and unmarried children
under age 21 of successful applicants may also apply for visas to accompany or
follow to join the principal applicant. DV-2006 visas will be issued between
October 1, 2005 and September 30, 2006.
In order to actually receive a visa, applicants selected in the
random drawing must meet ALL eligibility requirements under U.S. law.
Processing of entries and issuance of diversity visas to successful
applicants and their eligible family members MUST occur by midnight on September
30, 2006. Under no circumstances can diversity visas be issued or adjustments
approved after this date, nor can family members obtain diversity visas to
follow to join the applicant in the U.S. after this date.
Important Notice
No fee is charged to enter the annual DV
program. The U.S. Government employs no outside consultants or
private services to operate the DV program. Any intermediaries or others who
offer assistance to prepare DV casework for applicants do so without the
authority or consent of the U.S. Government. Use of any outside intermediary or
assistance to prepare a DV entry is entirely at the applicant's discretion.
A qualified entry submitted electronically directly by an applicant has
an equal chance of being selected by the computer at the Kentucky Consular
Center as does an entry submitted electronically through a paid intermediary who
completes the entry for the applicant. Every entry received during the
lottery registration period will have an equal random chance of being selected
within its region. However, receipt of more than one entry per person will
disqualify the person from registration, regardless of the source of the
entry.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT DV REGISTRATION
1. WHAT DOES THE TERM "NATIVE" MEAN?
ARE THERE ANY SITUATIONS IN WHICH PERSONS WHO
WERE NOT BORN IN A QUALIFYING COUNTRY MAY APPLY?
"Native" ordinarily means someone born in a particular country, regardless of
the individual's current country of residence or nationality. But for
immigration purposes "native" can also mean someone who is entitled to be
"charged" to a country other than the one in which he/she was born under the
provisions of Section 202(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
For example, if a principal applicant was born in a country that is not
eligible for this year's DV program, he/she may claim "chargeability" to the
country where his/her derivative spouse was born, but he/she will not be issued
a DV-1 unless the spouse is also eligible for and issued a DV-2, and both must
enter the U.S. together on the DVs. In a similar manner, a minor dependent child
can be "charged" to a parent's country of birth.
Finally, any applicant born in a country ineligible for this year's DV
program can be "charged" to the country of birth of either parent as long as
neither parent was a resident of the ineligible country at the time of the
applicant's birth. In general, people are not considered residents of a country
in which they were not born or legally naturalized if they are only visiting the
country temporarily or stationed in the country for business or professional
reasons on behalf of a company or government.
An applicant who claims alternate chargeability must indicate such
information on the application for registration.
2. ARE THERE ANY CHANGES OR NEW REQUIREMENTS IN THE
APPLICATION PROCEDURES FOR THIS DIVERSITY VISA REGISTRATION?
All DV-2006 lottery entries must be submitted electronically at
www.dvlottery.state.gov between Friday, November 5, 2004 and Friday, January 7,
2005. No paper entries will be accepted.
The Department of State implemented an electronic registration system for
last year's lottery in order to make the Diversity Visa process more efficient
and secure. The Department utilizes special technology and other means to
identify applicants who commit fraud for the purposes of illegal immigration or
who submit multiple entries.
The DV-2006 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program registration period will run
from noon Eastern Standard Time November 5, 2004 through noon Eastern Standard
Time January 7, 2005.
3. ARE SIGNATURES AND PHOTOGRAPHS REQUIRED FOR EACH
FAMILY MEMBER, OR ONLY FOR THE PRINCIPAL APPLICANT?
Signatures are not required on the Electronic Diversity Visa Entry Form.
Recent and individual photos of the applicant, his/her spouse and all children
under 21 years of age are required. Family or group photos are not accepted.
Check the information on the photo requirements on page 2 of this bulletin.
4. WHY DO NATIVES OF CERTAIN COUNTRIES NOT QUALIFY
FOR THE DIVERSITY PROGRAM?
Diversity visas are intended to provide an immigration opportunity for
persons from countries other than the countries which send large numbers of
immigrants to the U.S. The law states that no diversity visas shall be provided
for natives of "high admission" countries. The law defines this to mean
countries from which a total of 50,000 persons in the Family-Sponsored and
Employment-Based visa categories immigrated to the United States during the
previous five years. Each year, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
(USCIS) adds the family and employment immigrant admission figures for the
previous five years in order to identify the countries whose natives must be
excluded from the annual diversity lottery. Because there is a separate
determination made before each annual DV entry period, the list of countries
whose natives do not qualify may change from one year to the next.
5. WHAT IS THE NUMERICAL LIMIT FOR DV-2006?
By law, the U.S. diversity immigration program makes available a maximum of
55,000 permanent residence visas each year to eligible persons. However, the
Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (NACARA) passed by
Congress in November 1997 stipulates that beginning as early as DV-99, and for
as long as necessary, 5,000 of the 55,000 annually-allocated diversity visas
will be made available for use under the NACARA program. The actual reduction of
the limit to 50,000 began with DV-2000 and remains in effect for the DV-2006
program.
6. WHAT ARE THE REGIONAL DIVERSITY
VISA (DV) LIMITS FOR DV-2006?
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) determines the DV
regional limits for each year according to a formula specified in Section 203(c)
of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Once the USCIS has completed the
calculations, the regional visa limits will be announced.
7. WHEN WILL ENTRIES FOR THE DV-2006 PROGRAM BE ACCEPTED?
The DV-2006 entry period will begin on noon EST Friday, November 5, 2004 and
will last for 63 days through noon EST Friday, January 7, 2005. Each year
millions apply for the program during the registration period. The massive
volume of entries creates an enormous amount of work in selecting and processing
successful applicants. Holding the entry period during November and December
will ensure successful applicants are notified in a timely manner, and gives
both them and our embassies and consulates time to prepare and complete entries
for visa issuance. Applicants are strongly encouraged to enter early in the
registration period. Excessive demand at end of the registration period may slow
the system down. No entries whatsoever will be accepted after noon EST Friday,
January 7, 2005.
8. MAY PERSONS WHO ARE IN THE U.S. APPLY FOR THE
PROGRAM?
Yes, an applicant may be in the U.S. or in another country, and the entry may
be submitted from the U.S. or from abroad.
9. IS EACH APPLICANT LIMITED TO ONLY ONE ENTRY
DURING THE ANNUAL DV REGISTRATION PERIOD?
Yes, the law allows only one entry by or for each person during each
registration period; applicants for whom more than one entry is
submitted will be disqualified. The Department of State will employ
sophisticated technology and other means to identify individuals that submit
multiple entries during the registration period. Applicants submitting more than
one entry will be disqualified and an electronic record will be permanently
maintained by the Department of State. Applicants may apply for the program each
year during the regular registration period.
10. MAY A HUSBAND AND A WIFE EACH SUBMIT A SEPARATE
ENTRY?
Yes, a husband and a wife may each submit one entry if each meets the
eligibility requirements. If either were selected, the other would be entitled
to derivative status.
11. WHAT FAMILY MEMBERS MUST I INCLUDE ON MY DV ENTRY?
On your entry you must list your spouse, that is husband or
wife, and all unmarried children under 21 years of age, with the exception of
children who are already U.S. citizens or Legal Permanent Residents. You must
list your spouse even if you are currently separated from him/her, unless you
are legally separated (i.e. there is a written agreement recognized by a court
or a court order.) If you are legally separated or divorced, you do not need to
list your former spouse. 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, or children you have formally adopted in
accordance with the laws of your country, unless such 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.
The fact that you have listed family members on your entry does not mean that
they later must travel with you. They may choose to remain behind. However, if
you include an eligible dependent on your visa application forms that you failed
to include on your original entry, your case will be disqualified. (This only
applies to persons who were dependents at the time the original application was
submitted, not those acquired at a later date.) Your spouse may still submit a
separate entry, even though he or she is listed on your entry, as long as both
entries include details on all dependents in your family. See question 10 above.
12. MUST EACH APPLICANT SUBMIT HIS/HER OWN ENTRY, OR
MAY SOMEONE ACT ON BEHALF OF AN APPLICANT?
Applicants may prepare and submit their own entries, or have someone submit
the entry for them. Regardless of whether an entry is submitted by the applicant
directly, or assistance is provided by an attorney, friend, relative, etc., only
one entry may be submitted in the name of each person. If the entry is selected,
the notification letter will be sent only to the mailing address provided on the
entry.
13. WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR EDUCATION OR WORK
EXPERIENCE?
The law and regulations require that every applicant must have at least a
high school education or its equivalent or, within the past five years, have two
years of work experience in an occupation requiring at least two years training
or experience. A "high school education or equivalent" is defined as successful
completion of a twelve-year course of elementary and secondary education in the
United States or successful completion in another country of a formal course of
elementary and secondary education comparable to a high school education in the
United States. Documentary proof of education or work experience should not be
submitted with the lottery entry, but must be presented to the consular officer
at the time of the visa interview. To determine eligibility based on work
experience, definitions from the Department of Labor's O*Net OnLine database
will be used.
14. HOW WILL SUCCESSFUL ENTRANTS BE SELECTED?
At the Kentucky Consular Center, all entries received from each region will
be individually numbered. After the end of the registration period, a computer
will randomly select entries from among all the entries received for each
geographic region. Within each region, the first entry randomly selected will be
the first case registered, the second entry selected the second registration,
etc. All entries received during the registration period will have an equal
chance of being selected within each region. When an entry has been selected,
the applicant will be sent a notification letter by the Kentucky Consular
Center, which will provide visa application instructions. The Kentucky Consular
Center will continue to process the case until those who are selected are
instructed to appear for visa interviews at a U.S. consular office, or until
those able to do so apply at a USCIS office in the United States for change of
status.
15. MAY WINNING APPLICANTS ADJUST THEIR STATUS WITH
USCIS?
Yes, provided they are otherwise eligible to adjust status under the terms of
Section 245 of the INA, selected applicants who are physically present in the
United States may apply to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
for adjustment of status to permanent resident. Applicants must ensure
that USCIS can complete action on their cases, including processing of any
overseas derivatives, before September 30, 2006, since on that date
registrations for the DV-2006 program expire. No visa numbers for the DV-2006
program will be available after midnight on September 30, 2006 under any
circumstances.
16. WILL APPLICANTS WHO ARE NOT SELECTED BE
INFORMED?
No, applicants who are not selected will receive no response to their entry.
Only those who are selected will be informed. All notification letters are sent
within about five to seven months from the end of the application period to the
address indicated on the entry. Since there is no notification provided to those
not selected, anyone who does not receive a letter about five to seven months
from the end of the registration period should assume that his/her application
has not been selected.
17. HOW MANY APPLICANTS WILL BE SELECTED?
There are 50,000 DV visas available for DV-2006, but more than that
number of individuals will be selected. Because it is likely that some of the
first 50,000 persons who are selected will not qualify for visas or pursue their
cases to visa issuance, more than 50,000 entries will be selected by the
Kentucky Consular Center to ensure that all of the available DV visas are
issued. However, this also means that there will not be a sufficient number of
visas for all those who are initially selected. All applicants who are selected
will be informed promptly of their place on the list. Interviews with those
selected will begin in early October 2005. The Kentucky Consular Center will
send appointment letters to selected applicants four to six weeks before the
scheduled interviews with U.S. consular officers at overseas posts. Each month
visas will be issued, visa number availability permitting, to those applicants
who are ready for issuance during that month. Once all of the 50,000 DV visas
have been issued, the program for the year will end. In principle, visa numbers
could be finished before September 2006. Selected applicants who wish to receive
visas must be prepared to act promptly on their cases. Random selection
by the Kentucky Consular Center computer does not automatically
guarantee that you will receive a visa.
18. IS THERE A MINIMUM AGE FOR APPLICANTS TO APPLY
FOR THE DV PROGRAM?
There is no minimum age to apply for the program, but the requirement of a
high school education or work experience for each principal applicant at the
time of application will effectively disqualify most persons who are under age
18.
19. ARE THERE ANY FEES FOR THE DV PROGRAM?
There is no fee for submitting an entry. A special
DV case processing fee will be payable later by persons
whose entries are actually selected and processed at a
U.S. consular section for this year's program. DV applicants, like other
immigrant visa applicants, must also pay the regular visa fees at the time of
visa application. Details of required fees will be included with the
instructions sent by the Kentucky Consular Center to applicants who are
selected.
20. ARE DV APPLICANTS SPECIALLY ENTITLED TO APPLY
FOR A WAIVER OF ANY OF THE GROUNDS OF VISA INELIGIBILITY?
No. Applicants are subject to all grounds of ineligibility for immigrant
visas specified in the Immigration and Nationality Act. There are no special
provisions for the waiver of any ground of visa ineligibility other than those
ordinarily provided in the Act.
21. MAY PERSONS WHO ARE ALREADY REGISTERED FOR AN
IMMIGRANT VISA IN ANOTHER CATEGORY APPLY FOR THE DV PROGRAM?
Yes, such persons may apply for the DV program.
22. HOW LONG DO APPLICANTS WHO ARE SELECTED REMAIN
ENTITLED TO APPLY FOR VISAS IN THE DV CATEGORY?
Persons selected in the DV-2006 lottery are entitled to apply for visa
issuance only during fiscal year 2006, i.e., from October 2005 through September
2006. Applicants must obtain the DV visa or adjust status by the end of
the Fiscal Year (September 30, 2006). There is no carry-over of DV
benefits into the next year for persons who are selected but who do not obtain
visas during FY-2006. Also, spouses and children who derive status from a
DV-2006 registration can only obtain visas in the DV category between October
2005 and September 2006. Applicants who apply overseas will receive an
appointment letter from the Kentucky Consular Center four to six weeks before
the scheduled appointment.
23. WHEN WILL E-DV ONLINE BE AVAILABLE?
Online entry will become available at 12:00 pm EST (GMT-5) on November 5,
2004 and will end at 12:00 pm EST (GMT-5) on January 7, 2005.
24. WILL I BE ABLE TO DOWNLOAD AND SAVE THE E-DV ENTRY FORM TO A
MICROSOFT WORD PROGRAM (OR OTHER SUITABLE PROGRAM) AND THEN FILL IT OUT?
No, you will not be able to save the form into another program for completion
and submission later. The E-DV Entry Form is a Web form only. This makes it more
"universal" than a proprietary word processor format. Additionally, it does
require that the information be filled in and submitted while on-line.
25. IF I DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO A SCANNER, CAN I SEND PHOTOS TO MY
RELATIVE IN THE U.S. TO SCAN THE PHOTOS, SAVE THE PHOTOS TO A DISKETTE, AND THEN
MAIL THE DISKETTE BACK TO ME TO APPLY?
Yes, this can be done as long as the photo meets the photo requirements in
the instructions, and the photo is electronically submitted with, and at the
same time the E-DV online entry is submitted. The applicant must already have
the scanned photo file when they submit the entry on-line. The photo cannot be
submitted separate from the online application. Only one on-line entry by or for
each person can be submitted. Multiple submissions will disqualify the entry for
that person for DV-2006. The entire entry (photo and application together) can
be submitted electronically from the United States.
26. CAN I SAVE THE FORM ON-LINE SO THAT I CAN FILL OUT PART AND THEN
COME BACK LATER AND COMPLETE THE REMAINDER?
No, this cannot be done. The E-DV Entry Form is designed to be completed and
submitted at one time. However, because the form is in two parts, and because of
possible network interruptions and delays, the E-DV system is designed to handle
up to sixty (60) minutes between downloading of the form and when the entry is
received at the E-DV web site after being submitted online. If more than sixty
minutes elapses, and the entry has not been electronically received, the
information received so far is discarded. This is done so that there is no
possibility that a full entry could accidentally be interpreted as a duplicate
of a previous partial entry. For example, suppose an applicant with a wife and
child sends a filled in E-DV Entry Form Part One and then receives Form Part
Two, but there is a delay before sending Part Two because of trouble finding the
file which holds the child's photograph. If the filled in Form Part Two is sent
by the applicant and received by the E-DV website within sixty (60) minutes then
there is no problem, but if the Form Part Two is received after sixty (60)
minutes has elapsed then the applicant will be informed that they need to start
over for the entire entry. The DV-2006 instructions explain clearly and
completely what information needs to be gathered to fill in the form. This way
you can be fully prepared, making sure you have all of the information needed,
before you start to complete the form on-line.
27. IF THE SUBMITTED DIGITAL IMAGES DO NOT CONFORM TO THE
SPECIFICATIONS, THE PROCEDURES STATE THAT THE SYSTEM WILL AUTOMATICALLY REJECT
THE E-DV ENTRY FORM AND NOTIFY THE SENDER. DOES THIS MEAN I WILL BE ABLE
RE-SUBMIT MY ENTRY?
Yes, the entry can be resubmitted. Since the entry was automatically rejected
it was not actually considered as submitted to the E-DV website. It does not
count as a submitted E-DV entry, and no confirmation notice of receipt is sent.
If there are problems with the digital photograph sent because it does not
conform to the requirements, it is automatically rejected by the E-DV website.
However, the amount of time it takes the rejection message to reach the sender
is unpredictable due to the nature of the Internet. If the problems can be fixed
by the applicant, and the Form Part One or Two re-sent within sixty (60) minutes
then there is no problem. Otherwise the submission process will have to be
started over. An applicant can try to submit an application as many times as is
necessary until a complete application is received and the confirmation notice
sent.
28. WILL THE ELECTRONIC CONFIRMATION NOTICE THAT THE COMPLETED E-DV
ENTRY FORM HAS BEEN RECEIVED THROUGH THE ONLINE SYSTEM BE SENT IMMEDIATELY AFTER
SUBMISSION?
The response from the E-DV website which contains confirmation of the receipt
of an acceptable E-DV Entry Form is sent by the E-DV website immediately, but
how long it takes the response to reach the sender is unpredictable due to the
nature of the Internet. If many minutes have elapsed since pressing the 'Submit'
button there is no harm in pressing the 'Submit' button a second time. The E-DV
system will not be confused by a situation where the 'Submit' button is hit a
second time because no confirmation response has been received. An applicant can
try to submit an application as many times as is necessary until a complete
application is received and the confirmation notice sent.
LIST OF COUNTRIES BY REGION WHOSE NATIVES
QUALIFY
The lists below show the countries whose natives are QUALIFIED within each
geographic region for this diversity program. The determination of countries
within each region is based on information provided by the Geographer of the
Department of State. The countries whose natives do not qualify for the DV-2006
program were identified by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
according to the formula in Section 203(c) of the Immigration and Nationality
Act. Dependent areas overseas are included
within the region of the governing country. The countries whose
natives do NOT qualify for this diversity program (because they are the
principal source countries of Family-Sponsored and Employment-Based immigration,
or "high admission" countries) are noted after the respective regional lists.
AFRICA
Algeria
|
Libya |
Angola
|
Madagascar |
Benin
|
Malawi |
Botswana
|
Mali |
Burkina Faso
|
Mauritania |
Burundi
|
Mauritius |
Cameroon
|
Morocco |
Cape Verde
|
Mozambique |
Central African Republic
|
Namibia |
Chad
|
Niger |
Comoros
|
Nigeria |
Congo
|
Rwanda |
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
|
Sao Tome and Principe |
Cote D'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
|
Senegal |
Djibouti
|
Seychelles |
Egypt
|
Sierra Leone |
Equatorial Guinea
|
Somalia |
Eritrea
|
South Africa |
Ethiopia
|
Sudan |
Gabon
|
Swaziland |
Gambia, The
|
Tanzania |
Ghana
|
Togo |
Guinea
|
Tunisia |
Guinea-Bissau
|
Uganda |
Kenya
|
Zambia |
Lesotho
|
Zimbabwe |
Liberia |
|
LIST OF COUNTRIES BY REGION WHOSE NATIVES
QUALIFY
ASIA
Afghanistan |
Lebanon |
Bahrain |
Malaysia |
Bangladesh |
Maldives |
Bhutan |
Mongolia |
Brunei |
Nepal |
Burma |
North Korea |
Cambodia |
Oman |
East Timor |
Qatar |
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region |
Saudi Arabia |
Indonesia |
Singapore |
Iran |
Sri Lanka |
Iraq |
Syria |
Israel |
Taiwan |
Japan |
Thailand |
Jordan |
United Arab Emirates |
Kuwait |
Yemen |
Laos |
|
Natives of the following Asian countries do not qualify for this year's
diversity program: China [mainland-born], India, Pakistan, South Korea,
Philippines, and Vietnam. The Hong Kong S.A.R and Taiwan do qualify and are
listed above. Macau S.A.R. also qualifies and is listed below.
LIST OF COUNTRIES BY REGION WHOSE NATIVES
QUALIFY
EUROPE
Albania |
Lithuania |
Andorra |
Luxembourg |
Armenia |
Macau Special Administrative Region |
Austria |
Macedonia, the Former Yugoslav Republic |
Azerbaijan |
Malta |
Belarus |
Moldova |
Belgium |
Monaco |
Bosnia and Herzegovina |
Netherlands (including components and dependent areas overseas)
|
Bulgaria |
Northern Ireland |
Croatia |
Norway |
Cyprus |
Poland |
Czech Republic |
Portugal (including components and dependent areas overseas)
|
Denmark (including components and dependent areas overseas) |
Romania |
Estonia |
San Marino |
Finland |
Serbia and Montenegro |
France (including components and dependent areas overseas) |
Slovakia |
Georgia |
Slovenia |
Germany |
Spain |
Greece |
Sweden |
Hungary |
Switzerland |
Iceland |
Tajikistan |
Ireland |
Turkey |
Italy |
Turkmenistan |
Kazakhstan |
Ukraine |
Kyrgyzstan |
Uzbekistan |
Latvia |
Vatican City |
Liechtenstein |
Natives of the following European countries do not qualify for this year's
diversity program: Great Britain and Russia. Great Britain (United Kingdom)
includes the following dependent areas: Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin
Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn, St.
Helena, Turks and Caicos Islands. Note that for purposes of the diversity
program only, Northern Ireland is treated separately; Northern Ireland
does qualify and is listed among the qualifying areas.
LIST OF COUNTRIES BY REGION WHOSE NATIVES
QUALIFY
NORTH AMERICA
The Bahamas
In North America, natives of Canada and Mexico do not qualify for this year's
diversity program.
OCEANIA
Australia (including components and dependent areas overseas)
|
Palau |
Fiji |
Papua New Guinea |
Kiribati |
Solomon Islands |
Marshall Islands |
Tonga |
Micronesia, Federated States of |
Tuvalu |
Nauru |
Vanuatu |
New Zealand (including components and dependent areas overseas)
|
Samoa |
SOUTH AMERICA, CENTRAL AMERICA, AND THE CARIBBEAN
Antigua and Barbuda |
Guyana |
Argentina |
Honduras |
Barbados |
Nicaragua |
Belize |
Panama |
Bolivia |
Paraguay |
Brazil |
Peru |
Chile |
Saint Kitts and Nevis |
Costa Rica |
Saint Lucia |
Cuba |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
Dominica |
Suriname |
Ecuador |
Trinidad and Tobago |
Grenada |
Uruguay |
Guatemala |
Venezuela |
Countries in this region whose natives do not qualify for this year's
diversity program: Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Jamaica,
and Mexico.
|