Disclaimer
Diversity Lottery
The congressionally mandated Diversity Immigrant Visa Program makes available up to 50,000 diversity visas (DVs) annually, drawn from random selection among all entries to persons who meet strict eligibility requirements from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States.
The DV lottery usually opens on the first Tuesday of October following October 1, the beginning of the federal government's fiscal year. Applications are usually accepted for thirty days.