DV 2010 Green Card Lottery Overview

Through the DV 2010 Green Card Lottery Program, the United States government grants 50,000 Immigration Visas (also known as Green Cards) to individuals from eligible countries to work and live in the United States as part of the Diversity Immigrant Visa Association. The list of eligible countries is comprised of those which have a low immigration rate to the United States (defined as less than 50,000 in the last five years).

Selected at random from a computerized lottery system, Green Card recipients may travel freely to and from the United States and are considered permanent residents. They are legally entitled to work as well as receive health, education, taxation, retirement, social security as well as other benefits. They may also serve as sponsors for their relatives seeking Immigration Visas (Green Cards). A Green Card holder may later apply for US Citizenship and still maintain citizenship in his/her country of origin. Green Cards are valid for a lifetime. After the individuals have been selected at random from among all qualified entries through the State Department E-DV lottery computer program, they will NOT be notified by email. Those selected will be notified only by letter through the mail between May and July 2008 at the addresses listed on their E-DV entry. Only the randomly selected individuals will be notified. Persons not selected will NOT receive any notification. U.S. embassies and consulates will NOT be able to provide a list of those selected to continue the visa process.

There are 50,000 DV visas available for DV-2009, but more than that number of individuals will be selected. Because it is likely that some of the first 50,000 persons who are selected will not qualify for visas or pursue their cases to visa issuance, more than 50,000 entries will be selected by the Kentucky Consular Center to ensure that all of the available DV visas are issued. However, this also means that there will not be a sufficient number of visas for all those who are initially selected. All applicants who are selected will be informed promptly of their place on the list.

The Kentucky Consular Center will send appointment letters to selected applicants four to six weeks before the scheduled interviews with U.S. consular officers at overseas posts. Each month visas will be issued, visa number availability permitting, to those applicants who are ready for issuance during that month. Once all of the 50,000 DV visas have been issued, the program for the year will end. Selected applicants who wish to receive visas must be prepared to act promptly on their cases. Random selection by the Kentucky Consular Center computer as a selectee does not automatically guarantee that you will receive a visa.