The first step for qualified aliens to apply for an immigrant visa under the diversity program is to complete what the State Department calls an "application for registration" (application). There is no fee to submit the application. Moreover, there is no formal form to enroll. The application consists of

1. A plain sheet of paper with the following information:

   1. Full name of the applicant;
   2. The applicant's date of birth;
   3. The applicant's place of birth;
   4. The names, dates, and places of birth of the alien's spouse or children, if any;
   5. A current mailing address;
   6. The applicant's native country if different from the country of birth; and
   7. the applicant's signature

2. A passport style photograph with the applicant's name written on the back in Roman letters. The picture must be attached to the paper with clear tape;

3. An envelope between six to ten inches in length and between three and one half to four and one half inches in width. The applicant must print or type on the envelope in Roman letters on the upper left hand corner the following:

   1. The name of the country of which the applicant is a native;
   2. The applicant's name; and
   3. The applicant's mailing address (must be the same as the one listed on the application).

After the application is prepared according to the specifications indicated above, the applicant must check with the State Department for publication of the explicit instructions on how to apply or file for the program. This information is usually published in the August before the drawing of the current fiscal year. At the time of the writing of this web site, the instructions were not published. Please check our web site at a later date for the posting of the instructions.

Once the instructions are published, the applicant sends the application as instructed to the Kentucky Consular Center. Applications received that are qualified will be assigned a number in order. After all envelopes are numbered, all numbers assigned will be randomly selected by a computer and ranked. Separate ranks are done for the various regions of the world as defined by the State Department. This is done so that applicants in one part of the world do not compete for visa slots with applicants in another part of the world. The 50,000 available visas are allotted to different regions pursuant to a system devised by the State Department.

Documentation of the applicant's eligibility (i.e., work experience or high school diploma and native country) does not have to be submitted with the application. The State Department ignores these requirements during the selection process and will only deal with them after an applicant is selected. Once an applicant is selected, he or she will have to produce documents of eligibility when the applicant applies for an immigrant visa through consulate processing or adjustment of status (For more information on how to obtain a green card after the applicant is selected, please click here).

The applicant's unmarried alien children under 21 and spouse can be included in the application and can be given derivative permanent resident status if the applicant is selected and ultimately granted permanent resident status. Immigrant visas issued to these family members of the applicant are deducted from the cap of 50,000 immigrant visas distributed under the program. If the spouse of the applicant is eligible for entry into the program independent of the applicant, then the spouse can apply independently and also seek derivative status for the other applicant spouse and his or her unmarried children under 21. In essence, if both spouses in a family are eligible to enroll in the program, the family will have greater chances of being selected.

It is important to note that if an applicant sends more then one application for him or herself to increase his or her chances for selection, that applicant will automatically be disqualified for selection for that fiscal year.

Although there is no fee to submit the application, the State Department will charge an additional processing fee for the program if the applicant is selected and applies for an immigrant visa or adjustment of status. The processing fee is paid in addition to the standard fees that are paid for consulate processing or adjustment of status. If selected, the applicant will receive a notification letter with a tear off portion on the bottom that the applicant sends in to the State Department as he or she is instructed with the fee amount. The tear of portion is sent back to the applicant and serves as a receipt the applicant will need to present with his or her documents when the applicant applies for an immigrant visa at a consulate or adjustment of status (For more information on how to obtain a green card after the applicant is selected based on the application, please click here).

For more information on the Diversity Visa Lottery Program, please click on the following links:
What is the Diversity Visa Lottery Program?
Who is eligible for the Diversity Visa Lottery Program?
What is the general procedure?
Where to file?
The Procedure To Get a Green Card After The Visa Lottery
Frequently Asked Questions about Visa Lottery