The registration period for the annual Diversity Visa (DV) lottery began at noon Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) Wednesday, October 3, 2007 and will run until noon Eastern Standard Time (EST) Sunday, December 2, 2007.  Qualified applicants must submit their applications electronically through the Department of State’s website at www.dvlottery.state.gov during the registration period.

The congressionally mandated Diversity Immigrant Visa Program is administered on an annual basis.  This program makes available permanent residence visas to persons meeting simple but strict eligibility requirements.  55,000 permanent residence visas are made available to a class of immigrants known as “Diversity Immigrants” that is, persons from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States.

For DV-2009, natives of the following countries are not eligible to apply:

Brazil, Canada, China (mainland born), Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Pakistan, Philippines, Peru, Poland, Russia, South Korea, United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, and Vietnam.  Persons born in Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR and Taiwan are eligible.