62134 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 194 / Thursday, October 6, 2011 / Notices 

For more information, please visit our 

Web site at http://www.nwbc.gov. 

Dan S. Jones, 

SBA Committee Management Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2011–25903 Filed 10–5–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8025–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

[Public Notice: 7637] 

Bureau of Consular Affairs; 

Registration for the Diversity 

Immigrant (DV–2013) Visa Program 

AGENCY: Department of State. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: This public notice provides 

information on how to apply for the 

DV–2013 Program. This notice is issued 

pursuant to 22 CFR 42.33(b)(3) which 

implements sections 201(a)(3), 201(e), 

203(c), and 204(a)(1)(I) of the 

Immigration and Nationality Act, as 

amended, (8 U.S.C. 1151, 1153, and 

1154(a)(1)(I)). 

Instructions for the 2013 Diversity 

Immigrant Visa Program (DV–2013) 

The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program 

is administered on an annual basis by 

the Department of State and conducted 

under the terms of Section 203(c) of the 

Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). 

Section 131 of the Immigration Act of 

1990 (Pub. L. 101–649) amended INA 

203 and provides for a class of 

immigrants known as ‘‘diversity 

immigrants.’’ Sections 201(e) and 203(c) 

of the INA provide a maximum of 

55,000 Diversity visas (DV) each fiscal 

year to be made available to persons 

from countries with low rates of 

immigration to the United States. 

The annual DV program makes 

permanent residence visas available to 

persons meeting the simple, but strict, 

eligibility requirements. A computergenerated random drawing chooses 

selectees for DVs. The visas are 

distributed among six geographic 

regions, with a greater number of visas 

going to regions with lower rates of 

immigration, and with no visas going to 

nationals of countries that have sent 

more than 50,000 immigrants to the 

United States during the past five years. 

Within each region, no single country 

may receive more than seven percent of 

the available DVs in any one year. 

For DV–2013, natives of the following 

countries are not eligible to apply 

because the countries sent a total of 

more than 50,000 immigrants each to 

the United States in the previous five 

years: 

Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China 

(mainland-born), Colombia, Dominican 

Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, 

Guatemala, Haiti, India, Jamaica, 

Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, The 

Philippines, South Korea, United 

Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and 

its dependent territories, and Vietnam. 

Persons born in Hong Kong SAR, 

Macau SAR, and Taiwan are eligible. 

Bangladeshi natives are excluded from 

DV–2013, while Polish and South 

Sudanese natives are included. 

Diversity Visa Registration Period 

Entries for the DV–2013 program must 

be submitted electronically between 

noon, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) 

(GMT–4), Tuesday, October 4, 2011, and 

noon, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) 

(GMT–4), Saturday, November 5, 2011. 

Applicants may access the electronic 

DV entry form (E–DV) at http:// 

www.dvlottery.state.gov during the 

registration period. Paper entries are not 

accepted. Applicants should not wait 

until the last week of the registration 

period to enter. Heavy demand may 

result in Web site delays. No entries will 

be accepted after noon, EDT, on 

November 5, 2011. 

Requirements for Entry 

To register for the DV–2013 program, 

you must be a native of one of the listed 

countries. See the ‘‘List of Countries by 

Region Whose Natives Qualify’’ below. 

In most cases, this means the country in 

which you were born. However, there 

are two other ways you may be able to 

qualify. First, if you were born in a 

country whose natives are ineligible but 

your spouse was born in a country 

whose natives are eligible, you can 

claim your spouse’s country of birth, 

provided both you and your spouse are 

listed on the selected entry, are issued 

visas, and enter the United States 

simultaneously. Second, if you were 

born in a country whose natives are 

ineligible, but neither of your parents 

was born there or resided there at the 

time of your birth, you may claim 

nativity in one of your parents’ country 

of birth, if it is a country whose natives 

qualify for the DV–2013 program. 

To enter the DV program, you must 

meet either the program’s education or 

work experience requirements. You 

must have either a high school 

education or its equivalent, defined as 

successful completion of a 12-year 

course of elementary and secondary 

education; OR, two years of work 

experience within the past five years in 

an occupation requiring at least two 

years of training or experience to 

perform. The U.S. Department of Labor’s 

O*Net OnLine database at http:// 

www.onetonline.org/ will be used to 

determine qualifying work experience. 

For more information about qualifying 

work experience, see Frequently Asked 

Question #13 below. If you cannot meet 

either of these requirements, you should 

not submit an entry to the DV program. 

Procedures for Submitting an Entry to 

DV–2013 

The Department of State will only 

accept completed E–DV entry forms 

submitted electronically at http:// 

www.dvlottery.state.gov during the 

registration period between noon, 

Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (GMT–4), 

Tuesday, October 4, 2011, and noon, 

Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (GMT–4) 

Saturday, November 5, 2011. 

We will disqualify ALL entries for an 

individual if more than ONE entry is 

received for that individual, regardless 

of who submitted the entries. You may 

prepare and submit your own entry, or 

have someone submit the entry for you. 

A successfully registered entry will 

result in the display of a confirmation 

screen containing your name and a 

unique confirmation number. You 

should print this confirmation screen 

for your records and keep this 

information until at least June 30, 2013. 

You will be able to check the status of 

your DV–2013 entry by returning to the 

Web site and entering your unique 

confirmation number and personal 

information. Paper entries are not 

accepted. 

You must submit all required 

photographs. If you do not, your entry 

will be disqualified. Submit recent 

photographs electronically with the 

E–DV entry form of: you; your spouse; 

each unmarried child under 21 years of 

age at the time of your electronic entry, 

including all natural children as well as 

all legally-adopted children and 

stepchildren, even if a child no longer 

resides with you or you do not intend 

for a child to immigrate under the DV 

program. You do not need to submit a 

photo for a child who is already a U.S. 

citizen or Legal Permanent Resident. 

We will not accept group or family 

photographs; you must include a 

separate photograph for each family 

member. Failure to submit the required 

photographs for your spouse and each 

child listed will result in an incomplete 

entry to the E–DV system. We will not 

accept the entry and you will have to 

resubmit another entry. If you fail to 

submit the correct photograph of each 

individual, your application, along with 

those of all of your derivatives, will be 

disqualified at the time of the visa 

interview. 

A digital photograph (image) of you, 

your spouse, and each child must be 

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submitted online with the E–DV 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. 

Entries are subject to disqualification 

and visa refusal for cases in which the 

photographs are not recent, have been 

manipulated, or fail to meet the 

specifications explained below. 

Instructions for Submitting a Digital 

Photograph (Image) 

The image file must adhere to the 

following compositional specifications 

and technical specifications, and can be 

produced by taking a new digital image 

or using a digital scanner to scan a 

submitted photograph. Entrants may test 

their photos for suitability through the 

photo validator link on the E–DV Web 

site before submitting their entries. The 

photo validator provides additional 

technical advice on photo composition, 

along with examples of acceptable and 

unacceptable photos. 

Compositional Specifications 

The submitted digital image must 

conform to the following compositional 

specifications or the entry will be 

disqualified: The person being 

photographed must directly face the 

camera; the person’s head should not be 

tilted up, down, or to the side; the head 

height or facial region size (measured 

from the top of the head, including the 

hair, to the bottom of the chin) must be 

between 50 percent and 69 percent of 

the image’s total height. The eye height 

(measured from the bottom of the image 

to the level of the eyes) should be 

between 56 percent and 69 percent of 

the image’s height; the photograph 

should be taken with the person in front 

of a neutral, light-colored background; 

dark or patterned backgrounds are not 

acceptable; the photograph must be in 

focus; photos in which the person being 

photographed is wearing sunglasses or 

other items that detract from the face 

will not be accepted; photographs of 

applicants wearing head coverings or 

hats are only acceptable if the head 

covering is worn for religious beliefs, 

and even then, the head covering may 

not obscure any portion of the face of 

the applicant. We will not accept 

photographs of applicants with tribal or 

other headgear not specifically religious 

in nature; we will not accept 

photographs of military, airline, or other 

personnel wearing hats. 

Color photographs in 24-bit color 

depth are required. Photographs may be 

downloaded from a camera to a 

computer file, or scanned to a computer 

file. If you are using a scanner, the 

settings must be for True Color or 24-bit 

color mode. Color photographs must be 

scanned at this setting for the 

requirements of the DV program. See the 

additional scanning requirements 

below. 

Technical Specifications 

The submitted digital photograph 

must conform to the following 

specifications or the system will 

automatically reject the E–DV entry 

form and notify the sender. 

When taking a new digital image: The 

image file format must be in the Joint 

Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) 

format; it must have a maximum image 

file size of 240 KB; the minimum 

acceptable image resolution and 

dimensions are 600 pixels (width) × 600 

pixels (height). Image pixel dimensions 

must be in a square aspect ratio 

(meaning the height must be equal to 

the width). The image color depth must 

be 24-bit color. [Note: Color 

photographs are required. Black and 

white, monochrome images (2-bit color 

depth), 8-bit color, or 8-bit grayscale 

will not be accepted.] 

Before a photographic print is 

scanned, it must meet the compositional 

specifications listed above. If the 

photographic print meets the print color 

and compositional specifications, scan 

the print using the following scanner 

specifications: Scanner resolution must 

be at least 300 dots per inch (dpi); the 

image file format in JPEG format; the 

maximum image file size must be 240 

KB; the image resolution 600 by 600 

pixels; the image color depth 24-bit 

color. [Note that black and white, 

monochrome, or grayscale images will 

not be accepted.] 

Information Required for the Electronic 

Entry 

There is only one way to enter the 

DV–2013 program. You must submit the 

DS–5501, the Electronic Diversity Visa 

Entry Form (E–DV entry form), which is 

accessible only online at http:// 

www.dvlottery.state.gov. Failure to 

complete the form in its entirety will 

disqualify your entry. To ensure that the 

form is completed accurately, the 

Department of State strongly encourages 

applicants to complete the application 

without the assistance of ‘‘Visa 

Consultants,’’ ‘‘Visa Agents,’’ or other 

individuals who offer to submit the 

forms on behalf of applicants. 

Those who submit E–DV entries will 

be asked to include the following 

information on the E–DV entry form: 

1. Full Name—Last/Family Name, 

First Name, Middle Name. 

2. Date of Birth—Day, Month, Year. 

3. Gender—Male or Female. 

4. City Where You Were Born. 

5. Country Where You Were Born— 

The name of the country should be the 

name currently in use for the place 

where you were born. 

6. Country of Eligibility or 

Chargeability for the DV Program—Your 

country of eligibility will normally be 

the same as your country of birth. Your 

country of eligibility is not related to 

where you live. If you were born in a 

country that is not eligible for the DV 

program, please review the instructions 

to see if there is another option for 

country of chargeability available for 

you. For additional information on 

chargeability, please review ‘‘Frequently 

Asked Question #1’’ of these 

instructions below. 

7. Entry Photograph(s)—See the 

technical information on photograph 

specifications. Make sure you include 

photographs of your spouse and all your 

children, if applicable. See Frequently 

Asked Question #3 below. 

8. Mailing Address—In Care of, 

Address Line 1, Address Line 2, City/ 

Town, District/Country/Province/State, 

Postal Code/Zip Code, and Country. 

9. Country Where You Live Today. 

10. Phone Number (optional). 

11. E-mail Address—Provide an email address to which you have direct 

access rather than using someone else’s 

address or a standard company address. 

Notifications to those selected in the DV 

program are not sent by e-mail. Official 

notifications of selection will be made 

through Entrant Status Check (ESC), 

available from May 1, 2012, on the E– 

DV Web site http:// 

www.dvlottery.state.gov. E-mail or mail 

notifications about your E–DV selection 

are not legitimate. You may receive 

follow-up e-mail communication from 

the Department of State informing you 

to review ESC for new information 

about your application. 

12. What is the highest level of 

education you have achieved, as of 

today? You must indicate which one of 

the following represents your own 

highest level of educational 

achievement: (1) Primary school only, 

(2) High school, no degree, (3) High 

school degree, (4) Vocational school, (5) 

Some university courses, (6) University 

degree, (7) Some graduate level courses, 

(8) Master’s degree, (9) Some doctorate 

level courses, and (10) Doctorate degree. 

13. Marital Status—Unmarried, 

married, divorced, widowed, legally 

separated. 

14. Number of Children: Entries must 

include the name, date, and place of 

birth of your spouse and all natural 

children, as well as all legally adopted 

children and stepchildren who are 

unmarried and under the age of 21 on 

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the date of your electronic entry (do not 

include children who are already U.S. 

citizens or Legal Permanent Residents), 

even if you are no longer legally married 

to the child’s parent, and even if the 

spouse or child does not currently 

reside with you and/or will not 

immigrate with you. Note that married 

children and children 21 years or older 

are not eligible derivatives for a DV; 

however, they may submit their own 

electronic DV entries. Additionally, U.S. 

law protects children from ‘‘aging out’’ 

in certain circumstances. If your 

electronic DV entry is submitted before 

your unmarried child turns 21, and the 

child turns 21 before visa issuance, he/ 

she might be protected from aging out 

by the Child Status Protection Act and 

be treated as though he/she were under 

21 for visa-processing purposes. If you 

fail to list all eligible children, your 

application, along with all of your 

dependents, will be disqualified at the 

time of the visa interview. See 

Frequently Asked Question #11 below. 

15. Spouse Information—Name, Date 

of Birth, Gender, City/Town of Birth, 

Country of Birth, and Photograph. 

Failure to list your spouse will result in 

disqualification of the principal 

applicant, and refusal of all visa 

applications in the case at the time of 

the visa interview. 

16. Children Information—Name, 

Date of Birth, Gender, City/Town of 

Birth, Country of Birth, and Photograph. 

Include all children declared in 

question #14 above. 

Selection of Applicants 

The Department of State will use 

computer software to randomly select 

individuals from among all qualified 

entries. Starting May 1, 2012, entrants 

may enter their DV–2013 entry 

confirmation number into the Entrant 

Status Check (ESC) available at http:// 

www.dvlottery.state.gov to find out 

whether their entries were selected or 

not. The notification information 

provided on the site will provide further 

instructions for selectees, including fee 

information. Those selected in the 

random drawing are not notified by 

e-mail. You must logon to http:// 

www.dvlottery.state.gov and enter your 

confirmation number into the ESC to 

receive information regarding your 

entry. Applicants must go to http:// 

www.dvlottery.state.gov to confirm their 

selection status and to receive further 

instructions. U.S. embassies and 

consulates will not be able to provide a 

list of successful entrants. Successful 

entrants’ spouses and unmarried 

children under age 21 also may apply 

for Diversity Visas to accompany or 

follow-to-join the principal applicant. 

DV–2013 visas will be issued between 

October 1, 2012, and September 30, 

2013. Selectees who provide 

information requested in the 

notification instructions will be 

informed of their visa interview 

appointment through the Entrant Status 

Check on the E-DV Web site four to six 

weeks before the scheduled interviews 

with U.S. consular officers at overseas 

posts. Each month, visas will be issued 

to those applicants who are ready for 

issuance during that month, visanumber availability permitting. 

Applicants can compare their rank order 

number to the cut-off number shown for 

each region under the DV section of the 

Visa Bulletin (http:// 

www.travel.state.gov/visa/bulletin/ 

bulletin_1360.html). Once all of the 

50,000 DVs have been issued, the 

program will end. Visa numbers could 

be exhausted before September 30, 

2013, since the number of selected 

entries is more than 50,000. Selected 

applicants who wish to receive visas 

must act promptly. 

Processing of entries and issuance of 

DVs to successful individuals and their 

eligible family members must occur by 

midnight, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) 

on September 30, 2013. Under no 

circumstances can DVs be issued or 

adjustments approved after this date, 

nor can family members obtain DVs to 

follow-to-join the principal applicant in 

the United States after this date. 

In order to receive a DV to immigrate 

to the United States, those chosen in the 

random drawing must meet ALL 

eligibility requirements under U.S. law. 

These requirements may significantly 

increase the level of scrutiny required 

and time necessary for processing for 

natives of some countries listed in this 

notice, including, but not limited to, 

countries identified as state sponsors of 

terrorism. 

Important Notice 

No fee is charged to enter the annual 

DV program. The U.S. government 

employs no outside consultants or 

private services to operate the DV 

program. Any intermediaries or others 

who offer assistance to prepare DV 

entries do so without the authority or 

consent of the U.S. government. Use of 

any outside intermediary or assistance 

to prepare a DV entry is entirely at the 

entrant’s discretion. 

A qualified electronic entry submitted 

directly by an applicant has an equal 

chance of being randomly selected as 

does a qualified electronic entry 

received from an outside intermediary 

on behalf of the applicant. However, 

receipt of more than one entry per 

person will disqualify the person from 

registration, regardless of the source of 

the entry. 

Frequently Asked Questions About 

E–DV Registration 

1. What do the terms ‘‘Eligibility,’’ 

‘‘Native,’’ and ‘‘Chargeability’’ mean? 

Are there any situations in which 

persons who were not born in a 

qualifying country may apply? 

Your country of eligibility will 

normally be the same as your country of 

birth. Your country of eligibility is not 

related to where you live. ‘‘Native’’ 

ordinarily means someone born in a 

particular country, regardless of the 

individual’s current country of 

residence or nationality. For 

immigration purposes, ‘‘native’’ can also 

mean someone who is entitled to be 

‘‘charged’’ to a country other than the 

one in which he/she was born under the 

provisions of Section 202(b) of the 

Immigration and Nationality Act. For 

example, if you were born in a country 

that is not eligible for this year’s DV 

program, you may claim chargeability to 

the country where your derivative 

spouse was born, but you will not be 

issued a DV–1 unless your spouse is 

also eligible for and issued a DV–2 

(derivative visa), and both of you must 

enter the United States together. In a 

similar manner, a minor dependent 

child can be ‘‘charged’’ to a parent’s 

country of birth. 

Finally, if you were born in a country 

not eligible to participate in this year’s 

DV program, you can be ‘‘charged’’ to 

the country of birth of either of your 

parents as long as neither parent was a 

resident of the ineligible country at the 

time of the your birth. In general, you 

are not considered a resident of a 

country in which you were neither born 

nor legally naturalized if you only 

visited the country, studied in the 

country temporarily, or were stationed 

temporarily in the country for business 

or professional reasons on behalf of a 

company or government from a country 

other than the country in which you 

were born. If you claim alternate 

chargeability, you must indicate such 

information on the E–DV electronic 

online entry form, in question #6. Please 

be aware that listing an incorrect 

country of eligibility or chargeability 

(i.e., one to which you cannot establish 

a valid claim) will disqualify your entry 

in most situations. 

2. What are the procedures for this 

Diversity Visa registration? 

The ESC page available on the E–DV 

Web site http://www.dvlottery.state.gov 

will be the sole means by which you 

will be notified of your selection, or that 

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you were not selected. The Department 

will not mail you official notification 

letters, but will instead include 

instructions on how to follow up on 

your selection and pursue a DV visa 

application on your confirmation page. 

You will also be informed of your DV 

visa interview appointment date 

through the ESC page. The Department 

of State will not send anyone letters by 

mail informing them of their interview 

appointment. 

The ESC page will be available for 

DV–2013 beginning May 1, 2012. If you 

applied for the previous year’s DV–2012 

program, you may check the status of 

your entry until June 30, 2012. All other 

requirements for DV–2013 remain the 

same. 

3. Are signatures and photographs 

required for each family member, or 

only for the principal entrant? 

Signatures are not required on the 

Electronic Diversity Visa Entry Form. 

Recent and individual photographs of 

you, your spouse, and all children 

under 21 years of age (who are neither 

U.S. citizens nor Legal Permanent 

Residents) are required. Family or group 

photographs are not accepted. Please 

refer to information on the photograph 

requirements located in this notice. 

4. Why do natives of certain countries 

not qualify for the diversity program? 

DVs are intended to provide an 

immigration opportunity for persons 

from countries other than the countries 

that send large numbers of immigrants 

to the United States. The law states that 

no DVs shall be provided for natives of 

‘‘high admission’’ countries. The law 

defines this to mean countries from 

which a total of 50,000 persons in the 

Family-Sponsored and EmploymentBased visa categories immigrated to the 

United States during the period of the 

previous five years. Each year, U.S. 

Citizenship and Immigration Services 

(USCIS) adds the family and 

employment immigrant admission 

figures for the previous five years in 

order to identify the countries whose 

natives will be ineligible for the annual 

diversity program. Because there is a 

separate determination made before 

each annual E–DV entry period, the list 

of countries whose natives are not 

eligible may change from one year to the 

next. 

5. What is the numerical limit for DV– 

2013? 

By law, the U.S. diversity immigration 

program makes available a maximum of 

55,000 permanent residence visas each 

year to eligible persons. However, the 

Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central 

American Relief Act (NACARA) passed 

by Congress in November 1997 

stipulates that beginning as early as DV– 

1999, and for as long as necessary, up 

to 5,000 of the 55,000 annuallyallocated DVs will be made available for 

use under the NACARA program. The 

actual reduction of the limit by up to 

5,000 DVs began with DV–2000 and is 

likely to remain in effect through the 

DV–2013 program. 

6. What are the regional diversity visa 

(dv) limits for DV–2013? 

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration 

Services (USCIS) determines the DV 

regional limits for each year according 

to a formula specified in Section 203(c) 

of the Immigration and Nationality Act 

(INA). Once the USCIS has completed 

the calculations, the regional visa limits 

will be announced. 

7. When will entries for the DV–2013 

program be accepted? 

The DV–2013 entry period will run 

through the registration period listed 

above. Each year millions of people 

apply for the program during the 

registration period. The massive volume 

of entries creates an enormous amount 

of work in selecting and processing 

successful individuals. Holding the 

entry period from October 4, 2011, until 

November 5, 2011, will ensure that 

selectees are notified in a timely 

manner, and gives both the visa 

applicants and our embassies and 

consulates time to prepare and complete 

cases for visa issuance. You are strongly 

encouraged to enter early in the 

registration period, since excessive 

demand at the end of the registration 

period may slow the system down. We 

will accept no entries after noon EDT 

Saturday, November 5, 2011. 

8. May persons who are in the United 

States apply for the program? 

Yes, you may submit an entry while 

in the United States or in any another 

country. 

9. Is each applicant limited to only one 

entry during the annual E–DV 

registration period? 

Yes, the law allows only one entry by 

or for each person during each 

registration period. Individuals for 

whom more than one entry is submitted 

will be disqualified. The Department of 

State will employ sophisticated 

technology and other means to identify 

individuals who submit multiple entries 

during the registration period. Those 

submitting more than one entry will be 

disqualified, and an electronic record 

will be permanently maintained by the 

Department of State. Individuals may 

apply for the program each year during 

the regular registration period. 

10. May a husband and a wife each 

submit a separate entry? 

Yes, a husband and a wife may each 

submit one entry if each meets the 

eligibility requirements. If either is 

selected, the other is entitled to 

derivative status. 

11. What family members must I include 

on my E-DV entry? 

On your entry, you must list your 

spouse (husband or wife), and all 

unmarried children under 21 years of 

age, with the exception of children who 

are already U.S. citizens or Legal 

Permanent Residents. You must list 

your spouse even if you are currently 

separated from him/her, unless you are 

legally separated (i.e. there is a written 

agreement recognized by a court or a 

court order). If you are legally separated 

or divorced, you do not need to list your 

former spouse. You must list all your 

children who are unmarried and under 

21 years of age at the time of your initial 

electronic DV entry, whether they are 

your natural children, your spouse’s 

children, or children you have formally 

adopted in accordance with the laws of 

your country, unless such child is 

already a U.S. citizen or Legal 

Permanent Resident. List all children 

under 21 years of age at the time of your 

electronic entry even if they no longer 

reside with you, or you do not intend 

for them to immigrate under the DV 

program. 

The fact that you have listed family 

members on your entry does not mean 

that they later must travel with you. 

They may choose to remain behind. 

However, if you include an eligible 

dependent on your visa application 

forms that you failed to include on your 

original entry, your case will be 

disqualified. This only applies to those 

who were family members at the time 

the original application was submitted, 

not those acquired at a later date. Your 

spouse may still submit a separate entry, 

even though he or she is listed on your 

entry, as long as both entries include 

details on all dependents in your family. 

See question #10 above. 

12. Must I submit my own entry, or may 

someone act on my behalf? 

You may prepare and submit your 

own entry, or have someone submit the 

entry for you. Regardless of whether an 

entry is submitted by the individual 

directly, or assistance is provided by an 

attorney, friend, relative, etc., only one 

entry may be submitted in the name of 

each person and the entrant remains 

responsible for ensuring that 

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information in the entry is correct and 

complete. All entrants, including those 

not selected, will be able to check the 

status of their entry through the official 

DV Web site. Entrants should keep their 

own confirmation page information 

until at least June 30, 2013, so they may 

independently check the status of their 

entry. 

13. What are the requirements for 

education or work experience? 

The law and regulations require that 

every entrant must have at least a high 

school education or its equivalent or 

have, within the past five years, two 

years of work experience in an 

occupation requiring at least two years’ 

training or experience. A ‘‘high school 

education or equivalent’’ is defined as 

successful completion of a twelve-year 

course of elementary and secondary 

education in the United States or 

successful completion in another 

country of a formal course of elementary 

and secondary education comparable to 

a high school education in the United 

States. Only formal courses of study 

meet this requirement; correspondence 

programs or equivalency certificates 

(such as the G.E.D.) are not acceptable. 

Documentary proof of education or 

work experience must be presented to 

the consular officer at the time of the 

visa interview. 

What Occupations qualify for the 

Diversity Visa Program? To determine 

eligibility based on work experience, 

definitions from the Department of 

Labor’s (DOL) O*Net Online Database 

http://www.onetonline.org/ will be used. 

The O*Net Online Database groups job 

experience into five ‘‘job zones.’’ While 

many occupations are listed on the DOL 

Web site, only certain specified 

occupations qualify for the Diversity 

Visa Program. To qualify for a Diversity 

Visa on the basis of your work 

experience, you must have, within the 

past five years, two years of experience 

in an occupation that is designated as 

Job Zone 4 or 5, classified in a Specific 

Vocational Preparation (SVP) range of 

7.0 or higher. 

How Do I Find the Qualifying 

Occupations on the Department of 

Labor Web site? Qualifying DV 

Occupations are shown on the 

Department of Labor O*Net Online 

Database. Follow these steps to find out 

if your occupation qualifies: Select 

‘‘Find Occupations’’ and then select a 

specific ‘‘Job Family.’’ For example, 

select Architecture and Engineering and 

click ‘‘GO.’’ Then click on the link for 

the specific Occupation. Following the 

same example, click Aerospace 

Engineers. After selecting a specific 

Occupation link, select the tab ‘‘Job 

Zone’’ to find out the designated Job 

Zone number and Specific Vocational 

Preparation (SVP) rating range. 

14. How will successful entrants be 

selected? 

The Department will individually 

number all entries received from each 

region. After the end of the registration 

period, a computer program will 

randomly select entries from among all 

the entries received for each geographic 

region. Within each region, the first 

entry randomly selected will be the first 

case registered; the second entry 

selected the second registration, etc. All 

entries received during the registration 

period will have an equal chance of 

being selected within each region. 

Beginning May 1, 2012, selected 

entrants will be able to receive further 

instructions at http:// 

www.dvlottery.state.gov/. The Kentucky 

Consular Center (KCC) will continue to 

process the case until those selected to 

be visa applicants are instructed to 

appear for visa interviews at a U.S. 

consular office, or until those qualifying 

to change status in the United States 

apply at a domestic USCIS office. 

Important Note: Notifications to those 

randomly selected will not include 

information about your application. Should 

you receive an e-mail or mail notification 

that mentions the status of your E–DV 

selection, be aware that the message is not 

legitimate. You may receive a follow-up email communication from the Department of 

State informing you to review ESC for new 

information about your application. We will 

not ask you to send money by mail or by 

services such as Western Union, in any email generated by the Department of State. 

15. May selectees adjust their status 

with USCIS? 

Yes, provided they are otherwise 

eligible to adjust status under the terms 

of Section 245 of the INA, selected 

individuals who are physically present 

in the United States may apply to the 

USCIS for adjustment of status to 

permanent resident. Applicants must 

ensure that USCIS can complete action 

on their cases, including processing of 

any overseas derivatives, before 

September 30, 2013, since on that date 

registrations for the DV–2013 program 

expire. No visa numbers for the DV– 

2013 program will be available after 

midnight on September 30, 2013, under 

any circumstances. 

16. Will entrants who are not selected be 

informed? 

All entrants, including those not 

selected, may check the status of their 

entry through the E–DV Web site and 

find out if their entry was or was not 

selected. Entrants should print and keep 

their own confirmation page 

information from the time of their entry 

until at least June 30, 2013. (Status 

information for the previous DV 

program, DV–2012, is available online 

until June 30, 2012.) 

17. How many individuals will be 

selected? 

There are 50,000 DV visas available 

for DV–2013, 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 Department of 

State 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. Interviews for the 

DV–2013 program will begin in October 

2012. The Kentucky Consular Center 

will notify selected applicants via the 

ESC on the E–DV Program Web site, 

http://www.dvlottery.state.gov/, four to 

six weeks before the scheduled 

interviews with U.S. consular officers at 

overseas posts. Selectees will receive email communications from the 

Department of State alerting them that a 

visa appointment has been scheduled 

after they have responded to the 

notification instructions on the ESC. 

Such e-mails will direct selectees to 

check their interview appointment 

details on ESC and will not contain 

information on the actual appointment 

date and time. Each month visas will be 

issued to those applicants who are ready 

for issuance during that month, visa 

number availability permitting. Once all 

of the 50,000 DV visas have been issued, 

the program for the year will end. Thus, 

visa numbers could be exhausted before 

September 30, 2013. Selected applicants 

who wish to receive visas must be 

prepared to act promptly on their cases. 

Random selection by the Department of 

State’s computer software program does 

not automatically guarantee that you 

will receive a visa. You must qualify for 

the visa as well. 

18. Is There a minimum age for 

applicants to apply for the E–DV 

program? 

There is no minimum age to apply for 

the program, but the requirement of a 

high school education or work 

experience for each principal applicant 

at the time of application will 

effectively disqualify most persons who 

are under age 18. 

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19. Are there any fees for the E–DV 

program? 

There is no fee for submitting an E– 

DV program entry. DV applicants must 

pay all required visa fees at the time of 

visa application directly to the consular 

cashier at the embassy or consulate. 

Details of required diversity visa and 

immigration visa application fees will 

be included on the ESC. 

20. Do DV applicants receive waivers of 

any grounds of visa ineligibility or 

receive special processing for a waiver 

application? 

Applicants are subject to all grounds 

of ineligibility for immigrant visas 

specified in the Immigration and 

Nationality Act. There are no special 

provisions for the waiver of any ground 

of visa ineligibility aside from those 

ordinarily provided in the Act, nor is 

there special processing for waiver 

requests. Some general waiver 

provisions for individuals with close 

relatives who are U.S. Citizens or 

Lawful Permanent Resident aliens may 

be available to DV applicants as well, 

but the time constraints in the DV 

program will make it difficult for 

applicants to benefit from such 

provisions. 

21. May persons who are already 

registered for an immigrant visa in 

another category apply for the DV 

program? 

Yes, such persons may apply for the 

DV program. 

22. How long do applicants who are 

selected remain entitled to apply for 

visas in the DV category? 

Persons selected in the DV–2013 

program are entitled to apply for visa 

issuance only during fiscal year 2013, 

from October 1, 2012, through 

September 30, 2013. Applicants must 

obtain the DV visa or adjust status by 

the end of the fiscal year. There is no 

carry-over of DV benefits into the next 

year for persons who are selected but 

who do not obtain visas by September 

30, 2013 (the end of the fiscal year.) 

Also, spouses and children who derive 

status from a DV–2013 registration can 

only obtain visas in the DV category 

between October 1, 2012, and 

September 30, 2013. Applicants who 

apply overseas will receive an 

appointment notification through the 

ESC Web site, from the Department of 

State four to six weeks before the 

scheduled appointment. 

23. If an E–DV selectee dies, what 

happens to the DV case? 

The death of an individual selected in 

the DV program will result in the 

automatic revocation of the DV case. 

Any eligible spouse and/or children are 

no longer entitled to the DV visa for that 

entry. 

24. When will E–DV online be available? 

Online entry will be available during 

the registration period beginning at 

noon EDT (GMT–4) on October 4, 2011, 

and ending at noon EDT (GMT–4) on 

November 5, 2011. 

25. Will I be able to download and save 

the E–DV entry form to a Microsoft 

Word Program (or other suitable 

program) and then fill it out? 

No, you will not be able to save the 

form into another program for 

completion and submission later. The EDV Entry Form is a Web form only. This 

makes it more ‘‘universal’’ than a 

proprietary word processor format. 

Additionally, it does require that the 

information be filled in and submitted 

while online. 

26. If I don’t have access to a scanner, 

can I send photographs to my relative in 

the United States to scan the 

photographs, save the photographs to a 

diskette, and then mail the diskette back 

to me to apply? 

Yes, as long as the photograph meets 

the photograph requirements in the 

instructions and the photograph is 

electronically submitted with, and at the 

same time as, the E–DV online entry is 

submitted. The applicants must already 

have the scanned photograph file when 

they submit the entry online. The 

photograph cannot be submitted 

separately from the online application. 

Only one online entry can be submitted 

per person. Multiple submissions will 

disqualify the entry for that person for 

DV–2013. The entire entry (photograph 

and application together) can be 

submitted electronically from the 

United States or from overseas. 

27. Can I save the form online so that 

I can fill out part and then come back 

later and complete the remainder? 

No. The E–DV Entry Form is designed 

to be completed and submitted at one 

time. However, because the form is in 

two parts, and because of possible 

network interruptions and delays, the 

E–DV system is designed to permit up 

to sixty (60) minutes between the form’s 

download and when the entry is 

received at the E–DV Web site. If more 

than sixty minutes elapse and the entry 

has not been electronically received, the 

information already received is 

discarded. This is done so that there is 

no possibility that a full entry could 

accidentally be interpreted as a 

duplicate of a previous partial entry. 

The DV–2013 instructions explain 

clearly and completely what 

information is required to fill in the 

form. Thus you can be fully prepared, 

making sure you have all of the 

information needed before you start 

completing the form online. 

28. If the submitted digital images do 

not conform to the specifications, the 

procedures state that the system will 

automatically reject the E–DV entry 

form and notify the sender. does this 

mean I will be able re-submit my entry? 

Yes. Since the entry was 

automatically rejected, it was not 

actually considered as submitted to the 

E–DV Web site. It does not count as a 

submitted E–DV entry, and no 

confirmation notice of receipt is sent. If 

there are problems with the digital 

photograph sent, because it does not 

conform to the requirements, it is 

automatically rejected by the E–DV Web 

site. However, the amount of time it 

takes the rejection message to reach the 

sender is unpredictable given the nature 

of the Internet. If the problem can be 

fixed by the applicant, and the Form 

Part One or Two is resent within sixty 

(60) minutes, there is no problem. 

Otherwise, the applicant will have to 

restart the submission process. An 

applicant can try to submit an 

application as many times as is 

necessary until a complete application 

is received and the confirmation notice 

sent. 

29. Will the electronic confirmation 

notice that the completed E–DV entry 

form has been received through the 

online system be sent immediately after 

submission? 

The response from the E–DV Web site 

which contains confirmation of the 

receipt of an acceptable E–DV Entry 

Form is sent by the E–DV Web site 

immediately. However, how long it 

takes the response to reach the sender 

is unpredictable because of the nature of 

the Internet. If many minutes have 

elapsed since pressing the ‘Submit’ 

button, there is no harm in pressing the 

‘Submit’ button a second time. The E– 

DV system will not be confused by a 

situation where the ‘Submit’ button is 

hit a second time, because you received 

no confirmation response. You can try 

to submit an application as many times 

as is necessary until a complete 

application is received and the 

confirmation notice sent. However, once 

you receive a confirmation notice, do 

not resubmit your information. 

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30. How will I know if the notification 

of selection that I have received is 

authentic? How can I confirm that I 

have in fact been chosen in the random 

DV selection? 

Keep and print your confirmation 

page until at least June 30, 2013. You 

will need your confirmation number to 

access information through the ESC 

available on the E–DV Web site http:// 

www.dvlottery.state.gov/. The ESC will 

be the sole means by which DV–2013 

entrants are notified of their selection, 

provided instructions on how to 

proceed with their application, and 

notified of their immigrant visa 

interview appointment date and time. 

Status information will be available 

from May 1, 2012. If you lose your 

confirmation information, you will not 

be able to check your DV entry status, 

and we will not resend the confirmation 

page information to you. Only the 

randomly selected individuals will be 

given additional instructions on how to 

pursue their DV visa application. You 

may verify non-selection through 

entering your confirmation number on 

the ESC, but you will receive no further 

instructions. We will NOT forward the 

confirmation page information to you. 

U.S. Embassies and Consulates will 

NOT provide a list of those selected to 

continue the visa process. 

Randomly selected entrants will 

receive notification instructions for the 

DV visa application process on the 

selectee confirmation page available 

through ESC on the E–DV Web site 

http://www.dvlottery.state.gov/. The 

instructions note that selected 

applicants will pay all diversity and 

immigrant visa fees in person only at 

the U.S. Embassy or Consulate at the 

time of the visa application. The 

consular cashier immediately gives the 

visa applicant a U.S. government receipt 

for payment. Selected applicants 

applying for an immigrant visa at a U.S. 

Embassy or Consulate should never 

send money for DV fees through the 

mail, Western Union, or any other 

delivery service. Selected applicants 

who are already present in the United 

States, and who file for adjustment of 

status, will receive separate instructions 

on how to mail DV fees to a U.S. bank. 

The E–DV entries are submitted on 

the Internet, on the official U.S. 

government E–DV Web site at http:// 

www.dvlottery.state.gov/. The 

Department of State will not send 

notification letters to the selected 

applicants. The U.S. government has 

never sent e-mails to notify individuals 

they have been selected, and there are 

no plans to use e-mail for this purpose 

for the DV–2013 program. Selectees will 

only receive e-mail communications 

from the Department alerting them to 

perform an ESC. Such e-mails will 

direct selectees to check their interview 

appointment details on ESC and will 

not contain information on the actual 

appointment date and time. 

The Department of State’s Bureau of 

Consular Affairs advises the public that 

only Internet sites including the ‘‘.gov’’ 

domain suffix are official government 

Web sites. Many other nongovernmental Web sites (e.g., using the 

suffixes‘‘.com’’ or ‘‘.org’’ or ‘‘.net’’) 

provide immigration and visa related 

information and services. Regardless of 

the content of non-governmental Web 

sites, the Department of State does not 

endorse, recommend, or sponsor any 

information or material shown at these 

other Web sites. 

Some Web sites may try to mislead 

customers and members of the public 

into thinking they are official Web sites 

and may contact you by e-mail to lure 

you to their offers. These Web sites may 

attempt to require you to pay for 

services such as forms and information 

about immigration procedures, which 

are otherwise free on the Department of 

State’s Visa Services Web site or 

through U.S. embassy consular sections’ 

Web sites. Additionally, these other 

Web sites may require you to pay for 

services you will not receive (such as 

fees for DV immigration applications 

and visas.) Also, you should be wary of 

sending any personal information to 

these Web sites that might be used for 

identity fraud/theft. 

31. How do I report internet fraud or 

unsolicited e-mail? 

If you wish to file a complaint about 

Internet fraud, please see the 

econsumer.gov Web site, hosted by the 

Federal Trade Commission, in 

cooperation with consumer protection 

agencies from 17 nations (http:// 

www.econsumer.gov/english/). You may 

also report fraud to the Federal Bureau 

of Investigation (FBI) Internet Crime 

Complaint Center. To file a complaint 

about unsolicited e-mail, contact the 

Department of Justice Contact Us page. 

32. If I am successful in obtaining a visa 

through the DV program, will the U.S. 

government assist with my airfare to the 

United States, provide assistance to 

locate housing and employment, 

provide healthcare, or provide any 

subsidies until I am fully settled? 

No. Applicants who obtain a DV visa 

are not provided any type of assistance 

such as airfare, housing assistance, or 

subsidies. If you are selected to apply 

for a DV visa, you will be required, to 

provide evidence that you will not 

become a public charge in the United 

States. This evidence may be in the form 

of a combination of your personal 

assets, an Affidavit of Support (Form I– 

134) from a relative or friend residing in 

the United States, and/or an offer of 

employment from an employer in the 

United States. 

List of Countries By Region Whose 

Natives Are Eligible for DV-2013 

The lists below show the countries 

whose natives are eligible for DV–2013, 

grouped by geographic region. 

Dependent areas overseas are included 

within the region of the governing 

country. The countries whose natives 

are not eligible for the DV–2013 

program were identified by the U.S. 

Citizenship and Immigration Services 

(USCIS) according to the formula in 

Section 203(c) of the Immigration and 

Nationality Act. The countries whose 

natives are not eligible for this diversity 

program (because they are the principal 

source countries of Family-Sponsored 

and Employment-Based immigration or 

‘‘high admission’’ countries) are noted 

after the respective regional lists. 

Africa 

Algeria 

Angola 

Benin 

Botswana 

Burkina Faso 

Burundi 

Cameroon 

Cape Verde 

Central African Republic 

Chad 

Comoros 

Congo 

Congo, Democratic Republic of the 

Cote D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) 

Djibouti 

Egypt 

Equatorial Guinea 

Eritrea 

Ethiopia 

Gabon 

Gambia, The 

Ghana 

Guinea 

Guinea-Bissau 

Kenya 

Lesotho 

Liberia 

Libya 

Madagascar 

Malawi 

Mali 

Mauritania 

Mauritius 

Morocco 

Mozambique 

Namibia 

Niger 

Nigeria 

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Rwanda 

Sao Tome and Principe 

Senegal 

Seychelles 

Sierra Leone 

Somalia 

South Africa 

South Sudan 

Sudan 

Swaziland 

Tanzania 

Togo 

Tunisia 

Uganda 

Zambia 

Zimbabwe 

Persons born in the Gaza Strip are 

chargeable to Egypt. 

Asia 

Afghanistan 

Bahrain 

Bhutan 

Brunei 

Burma 

Cambodia 

East Timor 

Hong Kong Special Administrative 

Region 

Indonesia 

Iran 

Iraq 

Israel 

Japan 

Jordan 

Kuwait 

Laos 

Lebanon 

Malaysia 

Maldives 

Mongolia 

Nepal 

North Korea 

Oman 

Qatar 

Saudi Arabia 

Singapore 

Sri Lanka 

Syria 

Taiwan 

Thailand 

United Arab Emirates 

Yemen 

Natives of the following Asian 

countries are not eligible for this year’s 

diversity program: Bangladesh, China 

[mainland-born], India, Pakistan, South 

Korea, Philippines, and Vietnam. Hong 

Kong S.A.R. and Taiwan do qualify and 

are listed above. Macau S.A.R. also 

qualifies and is listed below. Persons 

born in the areas administered prior to 

June 1967 by Israel, Jordan and Syria are 

chargeable, respectively, to Israel, 

Jordan and Syria. 

Europe 

Albania 

Andorra 

Armenia 

Austria 

Azerbaijan 

Belarus 

Belgium 

Bosnia and Herzegovina 

Bulgaria 

Croatia 

Cyprus 

Czech Republic 

Denmark (including components 

and dependent areas overseas) 

Estonia 

Finland 

France (including components and 

dependent areas overseas) 

Georgia 

Germany 

Greece 

Hungary 

Iceland 

Ireland 

Italy 

Kazakhstan 

Kosovo 

Kyrgyzstan 

Latvia 

Liechtenstein 

Lithuania 

Luxembourg 

Macedonia, the Former Yugoslav 

Republic 

Macau Special Administrative Region 

Malta 

Moldova 

Monaco 

Montenegro 

Netherlands (including components and 

dependent areas overseas) 

Northern Ireland 

Norway 

Poland 

Portugal (including components and 

dependent areas overseas) 

Romania 

Russia 

San Marino 

Serbia 

Slovakia 

Slovenia 

Spain 

Sweden 

Switzerland 

Tajikistan 

Turkey 

Turkmenistan 

Ukraine 

Uzbekistan 

Vatican City 

Natives of Great Britain are not 

eligible for this year’s diversity program. 

Great Britain (United Kingdom) 

includes the following dependent areas: 

Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin 

Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland 

Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn, 

St. Helena, and Turks and Caicos 

Islands. Note that for purposes of the 

diversity program only, Northern 

Ireland is treated separately; Northern 

Ireland does qualify and is listed among 

the qualifying areas. 

North America 

The Bahamas 

In North America, natives of Canada 

and Mexico are not eligible for this 

year’s diversity program. 

Oceania 

Australia (including components and 

dependent areas overseas) 

Fiji 

Kiribati 

Marshall Islands 

Micronesia, Federated States of Nauru 

New Zealand (including components 

and dependent areas overseas) 

Palau 

Papua New Guinea 

Samoa 

Solomon Islands 

Tonga 

Tuvalu 

Vanuatu 

South America, Central America, and 

the Caribbean 

Antigua and Barbuda 

Argentina 

Barbados 

Belize 

Bolivia 

Chile 

Costa Rica 

Cuba 

Dominica 

Grenada 

Guyana 

Honduras 

Nicaragua 

Panama 

Paraguay 

Saint Kitts and Nevis 

Saint Lucia 

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 

Suriname 

Trinidad and Tobago 

Uruguay 

Venezuela 

Countries in this region whose natives 

are not eligible for this year’s diversity 

program: 

Brazil, Colombia, Dominican 

Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, 

Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, and 

Peru. 

Dated: September 28, 2011. 

Michael D. Kirby, 

Acting Assistant Secretary for Consular 

Affairs, Department of State. 

[FR Doc. 2011–25900 Filed 10–5–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–06–P 

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