How to apply. General instructions

Entries for the DV-2009 Diversity Visa Lottery must be submitted ELECTRONICALLY between noon Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (GMT-4), October 3, 2007 and noon Eastern Standard Time (EST) (GMT-5), December 2, 2007. Applicants may access the Electronic Diversity Visa Entry Form (EDV Entry Form) online only during this 2-months registration period. Paper entries will not be accepted.

Note. In order we could prepare your entry and submit it in time, please send us your application early, as soon as possible.

Entry. The only way to enter the DV-2009 lottery is submitting the EDV Entry Form online during the definitely fixed registration period. Failure to complete the form in its entirety will disqualify the applicant's entry.
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.
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, excepting those 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, who are eligible, will result in disqualification of the principal applicant and refusal of all visas in the case at the time of the visa interview.

Mailing address. On the entry an applicant should provide his/her full mailing (postal) address. The address must be written as follows: In Care Of, Address Line 1, Address Line 2, City/Town, District/Country/Province/State, Postal Code/Zip Code, Country. It can be any address the applicant finds the most appropriate and reliable. Such information like phone number and e-mail address is optional, but useful. Selected applicants will be notified directly by post to the address listed on their entry.
Note. Only one notification letter will be sent to the address provided on the entry. It should be especially taken into consideration if you plan to re-locate during the following year. There will be no a possibility to inform the US Department of States about any changes in case you move and change your mailing address.

Photographs.
The entry will be disqualified if all required photos are not submitted. RECENT photographs of the following people must be submitted electronically with the Electronic Diversity Visa Entry Form:
- the main applicant
- his/her spouse (which is a wife or a husband)
- each unmarried child under 21 years of age, including all natural children as well as all legally-adopted children and stepchildren, even if a child no longer resides with the applicant or there is no intention for a child to immigrate under the DV program.
Group or family photos will not be accepted; there must be a separate photo for each family member.
Each applicant, his/her spouse, and each child will therefore need a computer file containing his/her digital photo (image), which will 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.
Failure to enter the correct photograph of each individual in the case into the form will result in disqualification of the principal applicant and refusal of all visas in the case at the time of the visa interview. Also, entries are subject to disqualification and visa refusal for cases in which the photographs are not recent or have been manipulated or fail to meet DV Program specifications.