As previously announced by The U.S. Department of State, the online registration period for the Diversity Visa – 2024 Program started today, Wednesday, October 05, 2022, at 12:00 noon Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (GMT-4) and concludes on Tuesday, November 08, 2022, at 12:00 noon, Eastern Standard Time (EST) (GMT-5).

Submit your Electronic Diversity Visa Entry Form (E-DV Entry Form or DS-5501) online at dvprogram.state.gov. The U.S. Department of State will not accept incomplete entries or entries sent by any other means. There is no cost to submit the online entry form. Please use an updated browser when submitting your application; older browsers (Internet Explorer 8, for example) will likely encounter problems with the online DV system. The U.S. Department of State strongly encourages you to complete the entry form yourself without a “visa consultant,” “visa agent,” or other people who offers to help. If someone helps you, you should be present when your entry is prepared so that you can provide the correct answers to the questions and keep your unique confirmation number and a printout of your confirmation screen. It is extremely important that you have the printout of your confirmation page and unique confirmation number. Unscrupulous visa facilitators have been known to assist entrants with their entries, keep the confirmation page printout, and then demand more money in exchange for the confirmation number. Without this information, you will not be able to access the online system that informs you of your entry status. Be wary if someone offers to keep this information for you. You also should have access to the email account listed in your E-DV entry. See the Frequently Asked Questions for more information about DV program scams. You may also wish to view our video for an introduction to the DV program and a step-by-step guide to help you submit an entry.

After you submit a complete entry, you will see a confirmation screen containing your name and a unique confirmation number. Print this confirmation screen for your records. Starting May 6, 2023, you will be able to check the status of your entry by returning to dvprogram.state.gov, clicking on Entrant Status Check, and entering your unique confirmation number and personal information. You must use Entrant Status Check to check if you have been selected for DV-2024 and, if selected, to view instructions on how to proceed with your application. The U.S. government will not inform you directly. Entrant Status Check is the sole source for instructions on how to proceed with your application. If you are selected and submit a visa application and required documents, you must use the Entrant Status Check to check your immigrant visa interview appointment date. Please review the Frequently Asked Questions for more information about the selection process.

You must provide all of the following information to complete your entry. Failure to accurately include all the required information will make you ineligible for a DV.

1. Name – 
2. Gender –

3. Birth date – 

4. City where you were born.

5. Country where you were born – 

6. Country of eligibility for the DV program – 

7. Entrant photograph(s) – 

8. Mailing Address – In Care Of

Address Line 1

Address Line 2

City/Town

District/Country/Province/State

Postal Code/Zip Code Country

9. Country where you live today.

10. Phone number (optional).

11. Email address – 

12. Highest level of education you have achieved, as of today: 

13. Current marital status: 

Failure to list your eligible spouse or listing someone who is not your spouse will make you ineligible as the DV principal applicant and your spouse and children ineligible as DV derivative applicants. You must list your spouse even if you currently are separated from him/her unless you are legally separated. Legal separation is an arrangement when a couple remains married but lives apart, following a court order. If you and your spouse are legally separated, your spouse will not be able to immigrate with you through the DV program. You will not be penalized if you choose to enter the name of a spouse from whom you are legally separated. If you are not legally separated by court order, you must include your spouse even if you plan to be divorced before you apply for the Diversity Visa or your spouse does not intend to immigrate.

If your spouse is a U.S. citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident, do not list him/her in your entry. A spouse who is already a U.S. citizen or LPR will not require or be issued a visa. Therefore, if you select “married and my spouse IS a U.S. citizen or U.S. LPR” on your entry, you will not be prompted to include further information on your spouse. See the Frequently Asked Questions for more information about family members.

14. Number of children – 

Failure to list all children who are eligible or listing someone who is not your child will make you ineligible for a DV, and your spouse and children will also be ineligible as Diversity Visa derivative applicants. See the Frequently Asked Questions for more information about family members.

See the Frequently Asked Questions for more information about completing your Electronic Entry for the DV-2024 Program.

Selection of Entries

Based on the allocations of available visas in each region and country, the Department of State will randomly select individuals by computer from among qualified entries. All DV-2024 entrants must go to the Entrant Status Check using the unique confirmation number saved from their DV-2024 online entry registration to find out whether their entry has been selected in the DV program. Entrant Status Check will be availablefrom May 6, 2023, through at least September 30, 2024.

If your entry is selected, you will be directed to a confirmation page providing further instructions, including information about fees connected with immigration to the United States. Entrant Status Check will be the ONLY means by which the Department of State notifies selectees of their selection for DV-2024. The Department of State will not mail notification letters or notify selectees by email. U.S. embassies and consulates will not provide a list of selectees. Individuals who have not been selected also ONLY will be notified through Entrant Status Check. You are strongly encouraged to access Entrant Status Check yourself. Do not rely on someone else to check and inform you.

In order to immigrate, DV selectees must be admissible to the United States. The DS-260, Online Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration.

Application, electronically, and the consular officer, in person, will ask you questions about your eligibility to immigrate under U.S. law. These questions include criminal and security-related topics. All selectees, including family members, must be issued visas by September 30, 2024. Under no circumstances can the Department of State issue DVs nor can USCIS approve adjustments after this date, nor can family members obtain DVs to follow to join the principal applicant in the United States after this date. See the Frequently Asked Questions for more information about the selection process.

Submitting a Digital Photograph

You can take a new digital photograph or scan a recent (taken within the last six months) photograph with a digital scanner if it meets all of the standards below. DV entry photos must be of the same quality and composition as U.S. visa photos. You can see examples of acceptable photos here. Do not submit a photograph older than six months or a photograph that does not meet all of the standards described below. Submitting the same photograph that you submitted with a prior year's entry, a photograph that has been manipulated, or a photograph that does not meet the specifications below will make you ineligible for a DV.

Your photos or digital images must be:

• In color
• In focus
• Sized such that the head is between 1 inch and 1 3/8 inches (22 mm and 35 mm) or 50 percent and 69 percent of the image's total height from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head. View the Photo Composition Template for more size requirement details.
• Taken within the last six months to reflect your current appearance.
• Taken in front of a plain white or off-white background.
• Taken in full-face view directly facing the camera.
• With a neutral facial expression and both eyes open.
• Taken in clothing that you normally wear on a daily basis.
• Uniforms should not be worn in your photo, except religious clothing that is worn daily.
• Do not wear a hat or head covering that obscures the hair or hairline unless worn daily for a religious purpose. Your full face must be visible, and the head covering must not cast any shadows on your face.
• Headphones, wireless hands-free devices, or similar items are not acceptable in your photo.
• Do not wear eyeglasses.
• If you normally wear a hearing device or similar articles, they may be worn in your photo.

Review the Photo Examples to see examples of acceptable and unacceptable photos. Photos copied or digitally scanned from driver's licenses or other official documents are not acceptable. In addition, snapshots, magazine photos, low-quality vending machines, and full-length photographs are not acceptable.

You must upload your digital image as part of your entry. Your digital image must be:

• In JPEG (.jpg) file format
• Equal to or less than 240 kB (kilobytes) in file size
• In a square aspect ratio (height must equal width)
• 600 x 600 pixels in dimension

Do you want to scan an existing photo? In addition to the digital image requirements, your existing photo must be:

• 2x2 inches (51 x 51 mm)
• Scanned at a resolution of 300 pixels per inch (12 pixels per millimeter)

Taking photos of your baby or toddler

When taking a photo of your baby or toddler, no other person should be in the photo, and your child should be looking at the camera with his or her eyes open.

Tip 1: Lay your baby on his or her back on a plain white or off-white sheet. This will ensure your baby's head is supported and provide a plain background for the photo. Make certain there are no shadows on your baby's face, especially if you take a picture from above with the baby lying down.

Tip 2: Cover a car seat with a plain white or off-white sheet and take a picture of your child in the car seat. This will also ensure your baby's head is supported.

We regularly update our blog section to acquaint the community with to latest changes in Immigration policies. Please note the information in this blog is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be nor should it be construed as legal advice. We can promptly and efficiently represent clients located anywhere in the US or abroad on US Immigration Policies. If you seek further clarification, don't hesitate to contact SanSha Law Office at [email protected] or call us at 469-777-6161.