2012 Diversity Visa Lottery Program Registration Begins in October

The online registration period for the DV-2012 diversity visa lottery begins at 12 noon eastern time, Tuesday, October 5, 2010, and ends at 12 noon eastern time, Wednesday, November 3, 2010. The Department of State strongly encourages applicants not to wait until the last week of the registration period to enter, because heavy demand may result in online delays and missing the deadline.

For DV 2012, entrant notification will be through the Entry Status Check. Entrants selected will receive further instructions in the mail, including information on fees connected with immigration to the U.S. The “Selection of Applicants” section in the instructions provides information about the DV timeframe and process.

The Department’s announcement notes that there have been instances of fraudulent Web sites posing as official U.S. government sites. Also, some companies posing as the U.S. government have sought money in order to “complete” lottery entry forms. “There is no charge to download and complete the Electronic Diversity Visa Entry Form. The Department of State notifies successful Diversity Visa applicants by letter, and NOT by e-mail,” the announcement notes.

The announcement, with links to the instructions and to DV-2010 and DV-2011 results, is available at their website. The instructions are available online as well.