Green Card Diversity Visa (DV) 2009 Lottery Now Open
The Green Card Diversity Visa (DV) 2009 Lottery online entry begins today, October 3, 2007, at Noon EDT and ends at Noon EST on December 2, 2007. The DV Lottery provides for up to 55,000 Diversity Visas every fiscal year to be made available to individuals from certain countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. A computer-generated, random lottery drawing chooses selectees and the visas are distributed among six geographic regions. More Diversity Visas go to the regions with lower rates of immigration and no Diversity Visas going to nationals of countries that have sent more than 50,000 immigrants to the U.S. over the past five years.
Here is a list of countries whose nationals are NOT eligible: BRAZIL, CANADA, CHINA (mainland-born), COLOMBIA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, ECUADOR, EL SALVADOR, GUATEMALA, HAITI, INDIA, JAMAICA, MEXICO, PAKISTAN, PHILIPPINES, PERU, POLAND, 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.
The rules for entry and eligibility are simple but they are also strictly enforced. Entries must be done electronically--no paper entries will be accepted. The eligibility requirements and the rules for entry can be found here and the Department of State's fraud warnings about the program can be found here.
