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10/12/2003 Entry: "DV-2005 lottery is set to start November 1, 2003"
The DOS's electronic-only registration for the DV-2005 lottery is set to start November 1, 2003. Entries must be made on www.dvlottery.state.gov and must be received between Saturday, 11/1/03 and Tuesday, 12/30/03. Paper entries will not be accepted.
The annual DV program makes permanent residence visas available to
persons meeting the simple, but strict, eligibility requirements.
Applicants for Diversity Visas are chosen by a computer-generated
random lottery drawing. The visas, however, are distributed among six
geographic regions with a greater number of visas going to regions with
lower rates of immigration, and with no visas going to citizens of
countries sending more than 50,000 immigrants to the U.S. in the past
five years. Within each region, no one country may receive more than
seven percent of the available Diversity Visas in any one year.
For DV-2005, natives of the following countries are not eligible to
apply because they sent a total of more than 50,000 immigrants to the
U.S. in the previous five years. Canada, China (mainland-born),
Colombia, Dominican Republic,
El Salvador, Haiti, India,
Jamaica, Mexico, Pakistan,
Philippines, Russia, South Korea,
United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories,
and
Vietnam. Persons born in Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR and Taiwan are
eligible Application Submission Dates Entries for the DV-2005 Diversity Visa Lottery must be submitted
electronically between Saturday, November 1, 2003 and Tuesday, December
30, 2003. Applicants may access the electronic Diversity Visa entry
form at http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=www.dvlottery.state.gov during the 60-day registration period
beginning November 1. Paper entries will not be accepted. Requirements For Entry [sbull] Applicant must be a native of one of the countries listed
beginning on page 10. See ``List of Countries by Region Whose Natives
Qualify.''
Native of a country whose natives qualify: In most cases this means
the country in which the applicant was born. However, if a person was
born in a country whose natives are ineligible but his or her spouse
was born in a country whose natives are eligible, such person can claim
the spouse's country of birth providing both the applicant and spouse
are issued visas and enter the U.S. simultaneously. If a person was
born in a country whose natives are ineligible, but neither of his or
her parents was born there or resided there at the time of the birth,
such person may be able to claim nativity in the country of birth of
one of the parents.
[sbull] Applicants must meet either the education or training
requirement of the DV program.
Education or Training: An applicant must have EITHER a high school
education or its equivalent, defined as successful completion of a 12-
year course of elementary and secondary education; OR two years of work
experience within the past five years in an occupation requiring at
least two years of training or experience to perform. The U.S.
Department of Labor's O*Net OnLine database will be used to determine
qualifying work experience. Applicants will also find a link to a Labor
Department list of qualifying occupations at the Consular Affairs Web
site: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.travel.state.gov.
If the applicant cannot meet these requirements, he or she should
NOT submit an entry to the DV program. Procedures for Submitting an Entry to DV-2005 [sbull] 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.
[sbull] For the DV-2005 Program, the Department of State for the
first time will only accept completed Electronic Diversity Visa Entry
Forms submitted electronically at http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.dvlottery.state.gov during
a lengthened 60 day registration period beginning November 1, 2003. [[Page 51628]] [sbull] Also for the first time, the Department of State will send
DV lottery entrants an electronic confirmation notice upon receipt of a
completed EDV Entry Form.
[sbull] The entry will be disqualified if all required photos are
not attached. Recent photographs of the applicant and his or her spouse
and each child under 21 years of age, including all natural children as
well as all legally-adopted and stepchildren, excepting a child who is
already a U.S. citizen or a Legal Permanent Resident, even if a child
no longer resides with the applicant or is not intended to immigrate
under the DV program, must be submitted electronically with the
Electronic Diversity Visa Entry Form. 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.
If the submitted digital images do not conform to the following
specifications, the system will automatically reject the EDV Entry Form
and notify the sender.
[sbull] The image must be in the Joint Photographic Experts Group
(JPEG) format.
[sbull] The image must be either in color or grayscale; monochrome
images (2-bit color depth) will not be accepted.
[sbull] If a new digital photograph is taken, it must have a
resolution of 320 pixels wide by 240 pixels high, and a color depth of
either 24-bit color, 8-bit color, or 8-bit grayscale.
[sbull] If a photographic print is scanned, the print must be 2
inches by 2 inches (50mm x 50mm) square. It must be scanned at a
resolution of 150 dots per inch (dpi) and with a color depth of either
24-bit color, 8-bit color, or 8-bit grayscale.
[sbull] The maximum image size accepted will be sixty-two thousand
five hundred (62,500) bytes.
If the submitted digital images do not conform to the following
specifications, the entry will be disqualified:
[sbull] Applicant, spouse, or child must be directly facing the
camera; the head of the person being photographed should not be tilted
up, down or to the side, and should cover about 50% of the area of the
photo.
[sbull] The photo should be taken with the person being
photographed in front of a neutral, light-colored background. Photos
taken with very dark or patterned, busy backgrounds will not be
accepted.
[sbull] Photos in which the face of the person being photographed
is not in focus will not be accepted.
[sbull] Photos in which the person being photographed is wearing
sunglasses or other paraphernalia which detracts from the face will not
be accepted.
[sbull] Photos of applicants wearing head coverings or hats are
only acceptable due to religious beliefs, and even then, may not
obscure any portion of the face of the applicant. Photos of applicants
with tribal or other headgear not specifically religious in nature are
not acceptable. Photos of military, airline or other personnel wearing
hats will not be accepted. Information Required for the Electronic Entry There is only one way to enter the DV-2005 lottery. Applicants must
submit an Electronic Diversity Visa Entry Form (EDV Entry Form), which
is accessible only at http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=www.dvlottery.state.gov. Failure to complete the
form in its entirety will disqualify the applicant's entry. Applicants
will be asked to submit the following information on the EDV Entry
Form.
1. FULL NAME, Last/Family Name, First Name, Middle name.
2. DATE OF BIRTH, Day, Month, Year.
3. GENDER, Male or Female.
4. CITY/TOWN OF BIRTH.
5. COUNTRY OF BIRTH, The name of the country should be that which
is currently in use for the place where the applicant was born.
6. APPLICANT PHOTOGRAPH, (See pages 3 and 4 for information on
photo specifications).
7. MAILING ADDRESS, Address, City/Town, District/Country/Province/
State, Postal. Code/Zip Code, Country.
8. PHONE NUMBER (optional).
9. E-MAIL ADDRESS (optional).
10. COUNTRY OF ELIGIBILITY IF THE APPLICANT'S NATIVE COUNTRY IS
DIFFERENT FROM COUNTRY OF BIRTH, If the applicant is claiming nativity
in a country other than his or her place of birth, that information
must be submitted on the entry. If an applicant is claiming nativity
through spouse or parent, please indicate that on the entry.
11. MARRIAGE STATUS, Yes or No.
12. NUMBER OF CHILDREN THAT ARE UNMARRIED AND UNDER 21 YEARS OF
AGE.
13. SPOUSE INFORMATION, Name, Date of Birth, Gender, City/Town of
Birth, Country of Birth, Photograph.
14. CHILDREN INFORMATION, Name, Date of Birth, Gender, City/Town of
Birth, Country of Birth, Photograph. Note: 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 years, excepting those children who are already U.S. citizens
or legal permanent residents, even if they are no longer legally
married to the child's parent, and even if the spouse or child does
not currently reside with the applicant and/or will not immigrate
with the applicant. Note that married children and children 21 years
or older will not qualify for the diversity visa. Failure to list
all children will result in the applicant's disqualification for the
visa. (See question 11 on the list of Frequently Asked Questions.) Selection of Applicants Applicants will be selected at random by computer from among all
qualified entries. Those selected will be notified by mail between May
and July 2004 and will be provided further instructions, including
information on fees connected with immigration to the U.S.
Persons not selected will not receive any notification
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