The application period for the Department of State’s (DOS) Diversity Visa (DV) (“green card”) lottery for Fiscal Year 2014 began on October 2, 2012. Interested persons have until 12:00 noon Eastern Daylight Time on November 3, 2012 to apply. Winning applicants must process their green cards between October 1, 2013 and September 30, 2014.

Each fiscal year, the DOS makes available 50,000 immigrant visas through the DV lottery. The DV lottery provides immigrant visas to persons from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States. Applicants are also required to have a high school education (or the equivalent) or at least two years of qualifying work experience. As far as changes in eligibility, natives of Guatemala are now eligible to apply for the FY 2014 lottery. Lottery winners are chosen by random computer selection. Results will be available starting May 1, 2013.

For more information, please visit the DV Lottery Program page on the DOS website, or contact your Ogletree Deakins immigration professional.

Note: This article was published in the October/November 2012 issue of the Immigration eAuthority.