In order to qualify for the DV Program, the foreign national must:

1. Be from an eligible country (low admission foreign state). A country can be designated as a low-admission state if immigration from that country was lower than 50,000 over the preceding five years. Low admission states are allowed to participate in the DV program, whereas high admission regions are not. The list of countries participating in the DV program changes every year.
2. Meet an education or training requirement. The education requirement can be met by obtaining a high school diploma or successfully completing a 12 year course of elementary and secondary education. The training requirement can be met by obtaining at least 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 online database (ONet) is used to determine qualifying work experience.

If you believe you are eligible for the DV program, your application must be submitted during the relevant registration period. This year’s registration period (for DV year 2011) lasts for 60 days, beginning October 2, 2009 and ending on November 30, 2009.

For more information on the Diversity Visa Lottery Program, please contact our offices.