The Congressionally mandated Diversity Immigrant Visa Program makes available 50,000 diversity visas (DV) annually, drawn from random selection among all entries to persons who meet strict eligibility requirements from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. This program allows selected individuals to receive a U.S. permanent resident card also known as the Green Card.
The Congressionally mandated Diversity Immigrant Visa Program is administered annually by the Department of State allowing for up to 55,000 Visas.
Continuing this effort toward a more efficient and secure program, the Department of State is introducing an entirely online process to notify lottery entrants of their selection and to provide information about the immigrant visa application and interview.
For detailed information about entry requirements, along with frequently asked questions about the DV lottery, please see the instructions for the DV-2012 Diversity Visa.
