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The Diversity Immigrant Visa (DV) program, commonly known as the "green card lottery," makes 50,000 immigrant visas available annually to persons from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States. The program is administered by the US Department of State.
Eligible Countries: You must be a native of an eligible country — one that has sent fewer than 50,000 immigrants to the US in the previous 5 years. Major countries typically ineligible include: Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (mainland-born), Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland), and Vietnam. Eligibility changes annually.
Country of Nativity: Your eligibility is based on the country where you were born, not your current citizenship. In some cases, you may claim your spouse's or parent's country of birth if you were born in an ineligible country.
The State Department runs an online entry system (E-DV) during a specific window, typically October–November each year. Entries are randomly selected by computer lottery. Winners are notified the following May and must complete processing by September 30 of the fiscal year.
Approximately 100,000–200,000 entries are selected to account for withdrawals and disqualifications, producing the target of 50,000 actual immigrants.
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