Reminder: FY 2018 Diversity Visa Lottery Registration Ends November 7

United States

Registration for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 Diversity Visa (DV) lottery ends on Monday, November 7, 2016 at noon EST. Foreign nationals who wish to register for the FY 2018 DV lottery must submit their online registration forms and accompanying digital photographs by that time. Applicants must carefully follow the State Department’s official lottery instructions to avoid having their registration disqualified.

Each fiscal year, the U.S. Department of State makes 50,000 immigrant visas available through the DV lottery. Foreign nationals selected in this year's lottery will be eligible to submit a green card application during the 2018 fiscal year, which begins October 1, 2017.

The DV lottery is open to natives of certain countries that have historically low rates of immigration to the United States. Entrants must also have a high school education (or equivalent) or at least two years of qualifying work experience.

Individuals from countries with high rates of U.S. immigration are not eligible to register. For the FY 2018 lottery, natives of the following countries are ineligible: Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (mainland-born), Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, South Korea, United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, and Vietnam.  

People born in Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR and Taiwan can participate.

Natives of Ecuador are eligible to register for DV 2018.

People who cannot register because of their country of birth may be able to qualify through a spouse who was born in an eligible country or, in certain circumstances, through a parent's country of birth.

The State Department chooses lottery winners by random computer selection. Results will be available starting May 2, 2017 on the official DV lottery entry status website. The official website is the only legitimate source of information about lottery results. The State Department does not notify entrants by letter, e-mail, fax or telephone.

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen.

© 2016 Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP, Fragomen Global LLP and affiliates. All Rights Reserved.