This is where we explain how to
file your
application.
This the official page of the State Department where you will file your application. Rules are for the last lottery: fill the form containing your
personal information, attach the picture. Read the instructions
below, and if you have further questions, use the Forum. Everything is
spelled out clearly I hope, and you have the backup of the State
Department PDF file. Follow the instruction carefully, if you deviate
you won't be able to complete the application.
DV 2009 Rules
They are worth reading, so far they haven't changed much from year
to year.
- All entries by an applicant will be disqualified if
more than
ONE entry for the applicant is received, regardless of who
submitted the entry. Applicants may prepare and submit their own
entries, or have someone submit the entry for them.
- The Department of State will only accept completed
Electronic
Diversity Visa Entry Forms submitted electronically at the official
page during the registration period beginning October 5, 2005.
- The Department of State will send DV lottery entrants
an
electronic confirmation notice upon receipt of a completed EDV
Entry Form. This is a major thing, since probably the biggest
concern everybody had in the paper era was: Have they received my
application?
- Paper entries will not be accepted.
- The entry will be disqualified if all required photos
are not
submitted. Recent photographs of the applicant and his/her spouse
and each child under 21 years of age, including all natural
children as well as all legally-adopted and stepchildren, excepting
a child who is already a U.S. citizen or a Legal Permanent
Resident, even if a child no longer resides with the applicant or
is not intended to immigrate under the DV program, must be
submitted electronically with the Electronic Diversity Visa Entry
Form. Group or family photos will not be accepted; there must be a
separate photo for each family member.
About the picture
Each applicant, his/her spouse, and each child will therefore need
a computer file containing his/her digital photo (image) which will
be submitted on-line with the EDV Entry Form. The image file can be
produced either by taking a new digital photograph or by scanning a
photographic print with a digital scanner.
If the submitted digital images do not conform to the following
specifications, the system will automatically reject the EDV Entry
Form and notify the sender. 
- The image must be in the Joint Photographic Experts
Group
(JPEG) format.
- The image must be either in color or grayscale;
monochrome
images (2-bit color depth) will not be accepted.
- If a new digital photograph is taken, it must have
either a
resolution of 320 pixels wide by 240 pixels high, or a resolution
of 240 pixel wide by 320 pixels high. In both case, the color depth
must be of either 24-bit color, 8-bit color, or 8-bit
grayscale.
- If a photographic print is scanned, the print must be
2 inches
by 2 inches (50mm x 50mm) square. It must be scanned at a
resolution of 150 dots per inch (dpi) and with a color depth of
either 24-bit color, 8-bit color, or 8-bit grayscale.
- In all cases, the maximum image size accepted will be
sixty-two
thousand five hundred (62,500) bytes.
Rules on the picture
- Applicant, spouse, or child must be directly facing
the camera;
the head of the person being photographed should not be tilted up,
down or to the side, and should cover about 50% of the area of the
photo.
- The photo should be taken with the person being
photographed in
front of a neutral, light-colored background. Photos taken with
very dark or patterned, busy backgrounds will not be accepted.
- Photos in which the face of the person being
photographed is
not in focus will not be accepted.
- Photos in which the person being photographed is
wearing
sunglasses or other paraphernalia which detracts from the face will
not be accepted.
- Photos of applicants wearing head coverings or hats
are only
acceptable due to religious beliefs, and even then, may not obscure
any portion of the face of the applicant. Photos of applicants with
tribal or other headgear not specifically religious in nature are
not acceptable. Photos of military, airline or other personnel
wearing hats will not be accepted.
Check out this
page for some
useful examples of common mistakes found in pictures.
The actual entry
There will be only one way to enter the DV-2008 lottery. Applicants
must submit an Electronic Diversity Visa Entry Form (EDV Entry
Form), which will be accessible online once the DV starts. I will
place the link to the page here.
Failure to complete the form in its entirety will disqualify the
applicant’s entry. Applicants will be asked to submit the
following
information on the EDV Entry Form.
- FULL NAME - Last/Family Name, First Name, Middle name
- DATE OF BIRTH - Day, Month, Year
- GENDER - Male or Female
- CITY/TOWN OF BIRTH
- COUNTRY OF BIRTH -The name of the country should be that
which is currently in use for the place where the applicant was
born.
- APPLICANT PHOTOGRAPH - see
before for
instructions on the picture
- MAILING ADDRESS - Address, City/Town,
District/Country/Province/State, Postal Code/Zip Code, Country
- PHONE NUMBER (optional)
- E-MAIL ADDRESS (optional)
- COUNTRY OF ELIGIBILITY IF THE APPLICANT’S
NATIVE COUNTRY IS
DIFFERENT FROM COUNTRY OF BIRTH -If the
applicant
is claiming nativity in a country other than his/her place of
birth, this information must be submitted on the entry. If an
applicant is claiming nativity through spouse or parent, please
indicate this on the entry.
- MARRIAGE STATUS - Yes or No
- NUMBER OF CHILDREN THAT ARE UNMARRIED AND UNDER 21
YEARS OF
AGE
- SPOUSE INFORMATION - Name, Date of Birth, Gender,
City/Town of
Birth, Country of Birth, Photograph
- CHILDREN INFORMATION - Name, Date of Birth, Gender,
City/Town
of Birth, Country of Birth, Photograph
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