Disclaimer

The information on this website is presented as a service for our clients and Internet users and is not intended to be legal advice, nor should you consider it as such. Although we welcome your inquiries, please keep in mind that merely contacting us will not establish an attorney-client relationship between us. Consequently, you should not convey any confidential information to us until a formal attorney-client relationship has been established. Please remember that electronic correspondence on the internet is not secure and that you should not include sensitive or confidential information in messages. With that in mind, we look forward to hearing from you.

 Skip to Content

2018 Diversity Visa Lottery Program: Cuba, Ecuador, and Guatemala Eligible to Register
September 22, 2016

For the 26th year, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) has issued registration instructions for the annual Diversity Visa (DV) lottery. Registration for the 2018 lottery opens 12 noon eastern daylight time (EDT) on October 4, 2016, and closes 12 noon EDT on November 7, 2016. As in the past, only electronic applications will be accepted by completing the DV form at http://www.dvlottery.state.gov., the only site to accept the DV lottery applications. There is no fee for online submission. There is no paper submission to the DOS. The DOS will only accept one entry per person during this registration period. Those who apply more than once will be disqualified. The DOS will issue a confirmation number once the online application has been submitted. It is critical to save this number as the DOS will not re-issue one to the applicant if it is misplaced. 

Natives of the following countries are ineligible to apply through this year’s DV lottery program because their countries sent a total of more than 50,000 immigrants (those issued green cards) to the United States in the previous five years: Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (mainland-born), Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, South Korea, the United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, and Viet Nam. Of special note, persons born in Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, and Taiwan are eligible. Further, persons from Ecuador, Cuba, and Guatemala are eligible this year, a change from last year. The DOS will accept applications from an applicant spouse whose non-applicant spouse is born in an eligible country.   

To qualify for the DV lottery visa, the applicant must have a high school diploma or its equivalent (GED is not an equivalent); or within five years of applying, at least two years of work experience in an occupation requiring at least two years’ training or experience. The DOS relies on the U.S. Department of Labor listing of occupations requiring two years training or experience. 

Note the following registration procedure changes: the DOS will only accept photos submitted as part of the DV lottery entry package that are no older than 6 months at the time of the electronic submission; and applicants are prohibited from wearing eyeglasses in the photographs.  

DV lottery program entrants can check the DV lottery program website in May 2017 by using their DV confirmation number to see if they have been selected. The DOS will not notify entrants of their selection. 

For more information on the DV lottery visa program, please feel free to contact Maria Mejia-Opaciuch at [email protected] or at (305) 539-7319. 

 

 
Related Practices
Immigration Planning and Compliance International Labor & Employment Technology Telecommunications
Related Industries
Technology Telecommunications
©2024 Carlton Fields, P.A. Carlton Fields practices law in California through Carlton Fields, LLP. Carlton Fields publications should not be construed as legal advice on any specific facts or circumstances. The contents are intended for general information and educational purposes only, and should not be relied on as if it were advice about a particular fact situation. The distribution of this publication is not intended to create, and receipt of it does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship with Carlton Fields. This publication may not be quoted or referred to in any other publication or proceeding without the prior written consent of the firm, to be given or withheld at our discretion. To request reprint permission for any of our publications, please use our Contact Us form via the link below. The views set forth herein are the personal views of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the firm. This site may contain hypertext links to information created and maintained by other entities. Carlton Fields does not control or guarantee the accuracy or completeness of this outside information, nor is the inclusion of a link to be intended as an endorsement of those outside sites.