The Department of State has published instructions for applying for the 2017 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program. This program, which is administered annually by the Department of State, will provide 50,000 diversity visas. There is no cost to register for the program.
Applicants who are selected to participate in the program must meet a few simple yet strict eligibility requirements. These selectees are chosen through a random computerized drawing. Diversity Visas are distributed among six geographical regions; no country may receive more than seven percent of the available Diversity Visas in any year.
For 2017, natives of the following countries are not eligible to apply; more than 50,000 natives of these countries immigrated to the U.S. 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 who were born in Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, and Taiwan are eligible.
