DOS Announces Change in Registration Dates for 2019 Diversity Lottery

On October 16, 2017, the U.S. Department of State (“DOS”) announced that the entry period for the DV-2019 Diversity Visa (“DV-2019”) lottery that was supposed to start on October 3, 2017, has been closed due to technical problems. All entries submitted from October 3rd through October 10th will (i) be disregarded and considered invalid, (ii) be excluded from the system, and (iii) not count as duplicate entries. The DOS just announced that the new full entry registration period will begin on Wednesday, October 18, 2017, at 12:00 p.m. EDT (GMT-4) and conclude on Wednesday, November 22, 2017, at 12:00 p.m. EST (GMT-5). Only entries submitted during this period will be accepted and considered for selection in the lottery.

During the registration period, information, instructions, and the Electronic Diversity Visa Entry Form (E-DV or DS-5501) for the DV-2019 lottery will be available at the DV-2019 website, www.dvlottery.state.gov. Applicants must submit the entry form electronically at the DV-2019 website. Paper entries will be not accepted! We strongly recommend that applicants not wait until the last week of this registration period to enter because heavy demands may result in website delays. No entries will be accepted after 12:00 p.m. EST on November 22, 2017.

Foreign nationals considering filling out a DV-2019 application should carefully review the eligibility requirements and instructions on the DV-2019 website. Each eligible applicant can submit only one application. To maximize this opportunity, however, each eligible family member (child or spouse) is considered a separate applicant and can submit his or her own application.

* * * *

If you have any questions regarding this Alert or any other U.S. immigration issues, please contact Epstein Becker Green’s Immigration Law Group: