The Department of State has just published official guidelines for the 2015 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV-2016). This congressionally mandated program provides up to 50,000 diversity visas to applicants from countries with minimal presence in the United States. Applicants selected in this free lottery are required to meet simple, strict eligibility requirements. Applicants are chosen via a randomized computer drawing.
Natives from the following countries are not eligible to apply for the DV-2015 program because over 50,000 natives of these countries immigrated to the United States in the previous five years:
Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (mainland-born), Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, South Korea, United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, and Vietnam. People born in Hong Kong Sar, Macau Sar and Taiwan are eligible.
