The Department of State will soon administer the 2015 Diversity Visa
Program (DV-2015). This program, which is mandated by Congress and
administered annually, will provide up to 50,000 diversity immigrant
visas to individuals from countries with low rates of immigration to the
United States. This visa program is a lottery. Applicants selected by
the random lottery are required to meet simple eligibility requirements
in order to qualify for the visa program.
Individuals native to the following countries are NOT eligible to apply
for the DV-2015 program, because over 50,000 natives of these countries
immigrated to the U.S. over 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 to participate.
Entries for the program will be accepted between noon, EST, Tuesday,
October 1, 2013, and noon, EST, Saturday, November 2, 2013.