DV-2019 Diversity Visa Lottery Archive

This page is an archive. DV-2019 was the Diversity Visa program whose entry period ran in October and November 2017, with results available from May 2018. The rules below describe that program year only, and later years differ. For the current rules, read how the lottery works and what changes for DV-2027 entrants.

The entry period was reset

The original notice set the entry window from noon Eastern time on October 3, 2017 to noon Eastern time on November 7, 2017. A correction notice explained that technical problems prevented the Department of State from receiving all required information from entries submitted between October 3 and October 10, 2017, and that the Department stopped accepting entries when the problem was identified. The notice said the technical issue was resolved but the missing information was not recovered, and those entries were not considered. A new registration period ran from October 18, 2017 to November 22, 2017. People who had entered in the first period were encouraged to enter again and were not disqualified for registering in both periods. The correction also updated the answers about the entry dates, and moved the first day of Entrant Status Check from May 1, 2018 to May 15, 2018.

Visas available and how many were selected

The notice made 50,000 diversity visas available for DV-2019. The reason for that number is explained in its statistics answer: by law a maximum of 55,000 diversity visas are available each year, but up to 5,000 are set aside for a different program, the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act, a reduction that the notice says stays in effect through DV-2019. Because some of the first 50,000 people selected would not qualify or would not pursue their cases, more than 50,000 entries were selected. The notice stated plainly that this meant there would not be enough visas for everyone who was selected, and that the Department might add selectees in Entrant Status Check at any time before the program ended on September 30, 2019.

Eligible countries

Natives of the following countries were not eligible for DV-2019, because more than 50,000 natives of each immigrated to the United States in the previous five years: Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (mainland-born), Colombia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, South Korea, the United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, and Vietnam. People born in Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, and Taiwan were eligible. The notice stated that there were no changes in eligibility that year. Lists change annually, so this list must not be used for a later program year.

The notice gave two other ways to qualify for a person born in an ineligible country. One was to claim the birth country of a spouse, if that country was eligible and both spouses were named on the selected entry, were found eligible and issued diversity visas, and entered the United States at the same time. The other was to claim the birth country of a parent, if neither parent was born in or a resident of the entrant's own birth country at the time of the birth. The notice said visitors, temporary students, and people stationed there temporarily for work were generally not considered residents. Anyone using either route had to explain it in question six of the entry form, and listing a country without a valid claim disqualified the entry.

Education or work experience

Every entrant needed at least a high school education or its equivalent, defined as successful completion of a 12-year course of formal 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. The Department used the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET OnLine database to determine qualifying work experience. Only occupations in the Specific Vocational Preparation range of 7.0 or higher qualified. The notice gave a search path: choose Job Family under Find Occupations, select the occupation, and open the Job Zone tab. It used Aerospace Engineers as an example, listed in Job Zone 4 with a range of 7.0 to under 8.0, which qualifies.

Only formal courses of study counted as an education equivalent. Correspondence programs and equivalency certificates such as the General Equivalency Diploma did not. Entrants had to show documents to the consular officer at the interview, and an entrant who did not meet the requirement was disqualified at that point, with no visas issued to family members either. The notice said there was no minimum age, although the education or work rule effectively ruled out most people under 18.

The DV-2019 entry form

The entry was an electronic form (DS-5501) on the official site. The form had to be completed and submitted in one sitting within 60 minutes, because the system discarded partial entries and did not allow the form to be saved. The notice asked for these items:

• Name, exactly as on the passport, in the order last name, first name, middle name.
• Gender, listed as male or female.
• Date of birth, and the city and country of birth.
• Country of eligibility, which normally matched the country of birth.
• Photographs of the entrant, the spouse, and each child listed.
• Mailing address, country of residence, and an optional phone number.
• An email address the entrant could reach directly and would keep after the May notification.
• Highest education level, from primary school only up to a doctorate.
• Marital status, with the spouse's name, date of birth, gender, birthplace, and photograph where a spouse had to be listed.
• The name, date of birth, gender, and birthplace of each child, with photographs.

The instructions encouraged entrants to complete the form themselves and keep the confirmation number. The law allowed one entry per person in each registration period, and people with more than one entry were disqualified. A husband and wife could each submit one entry if each met the requirements, and if either was selected the other could apply as a derivative. An entrant could be in the United States or anywhere else when entering. After a complete entry the system showed a confirmation screen with a unique number, and an entrant who never received a number could submit again because the first attempt had not been recorded. Once a number was received, no further entries were to be made.

Family members on the entry

A legally married entrant had to list the spouse, even if the spouse lived elsewhere or did not plan to immigrate, unless the couple was legally separated under a court order. A spouse who was already a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident was not listed. All living unmarried children under 21 had to be listed, including natural children, legally adopted children, and stepchildren, whether or not they lived with the entrant. Failure to list an eligible spouse or child was grounds for disqualification of the principal applicant and refusal of all visas at the interview. Parents and siblings could not receive visas as dependents. The Child Status Protection Act could protect a child who turned 21 after the entry but before the visa was issued.

Photographs

The photographs had to be taken within the previous six months and show each person alone. Group photographs were not accepted. Submitting the same photograph used in a prior year's entry, or a manipulated photograph, led to disqualification. The compositional rules were:

• Directly facing the camera, head not tilted, with head height between 50 and 69 percent of the image height.
• Eye height between 56 and 69 percent of the image height.
• A neutral, light-colored background, a sharp focus, and no glasses or items that detract from the face.
• Head coverings only for religious reasons, never hiding part of the face. Military, airline, or other uniform hats were not accepted.

The technical rules were a JPEG file of no more than 240 kilobytes, in square dimensions from 600 by 600 pixels up to 1200 by 1200 pixels, in 24-bit color. A scanned print had to be scanned at no less than 300 dots per inch. Black and white or 8-bit images were rejected, and the entry site offered a photo validation link for testing.

How selection worked

The Department determined selectees through a randomized computer drawing. Visas were distributed among six geographic regions, and no single country could receive more than seven percent of the available visas in one year. Entries from each region were numbered, and the computer ranked them at random within the region, with every entry in a region having an equal chance. Entrants checked the result in Entrant Status Check with the confirmation number from their entry, and the Department stated that Entrant Status Check was the only means by which it would notify selectees. Selected entrants and their family members had to receive their visas by September 30, 2019.

After selection

Interviews for DV-2019 were to start in October 2018 for selectees who had sent all pre-interview paperwork, and appointment details appeared in Entrant Status Check four to six weeks before the interview. Visas were issued month by month while numbers lasted, and the notice warned that numbers could run out before September 2019. Selection did not guarantee a visa. Selectees already in the United States could apply to USCIS to adjust status, which had to be finished by September 30, 2019, and the Department would not approve visa numbers or adjustments after midnight Eastern daylight time that day. A selectee could apply only in fiscal year 2019, from October 1, 2018 to September 30, 2019, and nothing carried over to the next year.

Fees

There was no fee to submit an entry. A selected entrant who applied for a visa paid the required fees in person to the consular cashier at the embassy or consulate and received a receipt. A selectee applying through USCIS paid USCIS directly. The notice told entrants not to send money for DV fees through the mail, Western Union, or any delivery service in an embassy case, and it said visa application fees could not be refunded.

Why this year is archived

Program rules, entry dates, the list of eligible countries, and technical specifications change every year. The DV-2019 entry site name and dates no longer apply. Readers looking for a current entry should use the official site named in the current instructions and should treat any website that offers DV-2019 services as outdated or unreliable. See DV lottery scams: common types and warning signs.

Frequently asked questions

Can DV-2019 still be entered?

No. The entry period ended on November 22, 2017, and visas for the program could be issued only until September 30, 2019.

Is the DV-2019 country list valid for the current lottery?

No. The list is recalculated every year.

Did the 2017 technical problem affect the drawing?

The correction notice states that entries from October 3 to October 10, 2017 were not considered and that people were encouraged to enter again in the new period.

Could a spouse and a person each enter separately in DV-2019?

Yes. The notice allowed each spouse to submit one entry, if each met the requirements, and it said the other spouse could apply as a derivative if either was selected.

Where can the original notices be read?

In the Federal Register, using the two notices cited on this page.

Related reading

• How the Diversity Visa lottery works
• DV lottery timeline
• DV lottery eligibility
• Checking DV lottery results

Last verified: October 2026. Sources: DV-2019 instructions (Public Notice 10121); correction notice (Public Notice 10174).