The Department of State has issued instructions for the 2011 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV-2011). The program is sometimes commonly referred to as the visa lottery. The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program provides 55,000 foreign national from countries with lower rates of immigration permanent resident status in the United States. Individuals from countries with over 50,000 immigrants to the United States over the last five years are ineligible to participate in the program. These countries include: Brazil, Canada, China (Mainland-Born), Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, South Korea, United Kingdom (Except Northern Ireland) and Its Dependent Territories, and Vietnam Individuals born in Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, and Taiwan are eligible. The registration period for the 2011 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program began on October 2, 2009 and runs through November 30, 2009. Applicants should apply electronically at http://www.dvlottery.state.gov during the registration period.
