DV Lottery 2024: All You Need to Know

What is the DV Lottery?

The Diversity Visa Lottery (DV Lottery) is a U.S. government program that provides 55,000 visas annually to individuals from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States.

How to Enter the DV Lottery

The DV Lottery is a two-step process:

1. Submit an electronic entry form during the registration period, which typically runs from October to November.
2. If selected, submit a formal application for a diversity visa.

Eligibility for the DV Lottery

To be eligible for the DV Lottery, you must meet the following criteria:

• Be a native of a qualifying country.
• Have at least a high school education or its equivalent.
• Have worked within the past five years in an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience.

Qualifying Countries

The list of qualifying countries changes each year. For the DV Lottery 2024, the following countries are not eligible:

• Bangladesh
• Brazil
• Canada
• China (mainland-born)
• Colombia
• Dominican Republic
• El Salvador
• Guatemala
• Haiti
• India
• Jamaica
• Mexico
• Nigeria
• Pakistan
• Peru
• Philippines
• Poland
• Romania
• Russia
• South Korea
• Turkey
• United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories
• Vietnam

Selection Process

The DV Lottery uses a random computer-generated draw to select winners. The number of visas allocated to each country is based on the proportion of the total number of immigrants from that country admitted to the United States over the previous five years.