From DOS:

Important Notice: DV 2013 Program - The online registration period for the 2013 Diversity Visa Program (DV-2013) began on Tuesday, October 4, 2011, at noon, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (GMT-4), and will conclude on Saturday, November 5, 2011, at noon, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (GMT-4). See the Diversity Visa Program Instructions webpage for more information

DV 2012 Program: Entrants in the Diversity Visa 2012 program may check the status of their entries through the Entrant Status Check on the E-DV website now through June 30, 2012. Review more about Entrant Status Check.

Diversity Visa Scammers Sending Fraudulent Emails and Letters

The Department of State, Office of Visa Services, advises the public of a notable increase in fraudulent emails and letters sent to Diversity Immigrant Visa (DV) program (Visa Lottery) applicants. The scammers behind these fraudulent emails and letters are posing as the U.S. government in an attempt to extract payment from DV applicants. Review the procedures for the DV program provided below, so that you know what to expect, when to expect it, and from whom.

Refer to the additional fraud warning information below, as well as frequently asked questions about fraud protection for more information.

•Overview
•Fraud Warning
•Entrant Status Check
•Lottery Selectee Notification and Next Steps
•Qualifying Occupations
•Diversity Visa Program Results
•Rewards for Justice
•Additional Resources
Overview
The congressionally mandated Diversity Immigrant Visa Program makes available up to 55,000 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.

To learn about the next DV online registration, visit the Diversity Visa Program Instructions webpage.

Fraud Warning
Fraudulent websites are posing as official U.S. government sites. Some companies posing as the U.S. government have sought money in order to "complete" DV entry forms. There is no charge to download and complete the Electronic Diversity Visa Entry Form. To learn more, see the Department of State Warning and the Federal Trade Commission Warning.

The Department of State does NOT notify successful DV applicants by letter or email. Entrants can check the status of their entries, as explained below, by returning to the website at http://www.dvlottery.state.gov to find out if their entry was or was not selected.

Entrant Status Check
DV 2012 Program: From July 15, 2011, through June 30, 2012, all entrants may check the status of their entry. Entrant Status Check will be the ONLY means of informing you if your entry DV-2012 was selected or not. All entrants, including those NOT selected, may check the status of their entries through the Entrant Status Check on the E-DV website www.dvlottery.state.gov. Entrants will need to use the information from their DV-2012 confirmation pages saved at the time of entry. The DV-2012 registration period was from October 5, 2010, until November 3, 2010. To review instructions for DV-2012 entrants and selectees, see Instructions for the 2012 Diversity Visa Program.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: If you have lost your confirmation information, you will not be able to check your DV entry status. We will not be able to resend the confirmation page information to you.

Selectee Notification and Next Steps
DV 2011 Program: Selectees for the DV-2011 program were notified by mail between May and July of 2010. For successful DV 2011 entrants, the diversity immigrant visa application process is underway, which must be completed and visas issued by September 30, 2011.

DV 2012 Program: Review the information about Entrant Status Check which is the ONLY means by which DV selectees will be notified of their selection for DV-2012. Additionally, Entrant Status Check will provide successful selectees instructions on how to proceed with their application, and also notify you of the date and time of your immigrant visa appointment. The Kentucky Consular Center no longer mails notification letters and does not use email to notify DV entrants of their selection in the DV program. Review the DV Program 2012 Instructions "Selection of Applicants" section, which provides information about the DV process.

For All Successful DV Entrants: If you have been selected for further processing in the Diversity Visa program, after you receive instructions, you will need to demonstrate you are eligible for a diversity immigrant visa by successfully completing the next steps. When requested to do so by the Kentucky Consular Center, you will need to complete the immigrant visa application, submit required documents and forms, pay required fees, complete a medical examination, and be interviewed by a consular officer at the U.S. embassy or consulate to demonstrate you qualify for a diversity visa. Please note that the Kentucky Consular Center will provide application information either by mail (for DV-2011 selectees) or online through the Entrant Status Check on the E-DV website www.dvlottery.state.gov (for DV-2012 selectees).

Qualifying Occupations
Successful DV entrants must be eligible to receive a visa by qualifying based on education, work, and other requirements. The law and regulations require that every DV entrant must have at least:

•A high school education or its equivalent; or
•Two years of work experience within the past five years in an occupation requiring at least two years' training or experience.
To learn more about qualifying occupations, see the Diversity Visa Instructions Frequently Asked Questions and the List of Occupations webpage.