Diversity Visa Program (DV-2011)

Each year, the Diversity Lottery (DV) Program makes 55,000 immigrant visas available through a lottery to people who come from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. Of such visas, 5,000 are allocated for use under NACARA beginning with DV '99. The State Department (DOS) holds the lottery every year, and randomly selects approximately 110,000 applicants from all qualified entries. The DOS selects the approximately 110,000 applications since many will not complete the visa process. However once 55,000 are issued or the fiscal year ends, the DV program is closed. If you receive a visa through the Diversity Visa Lottery Program you will be authorized to live and work permanently in the United States. You will also be allowed to bring your spouse and any unmarried children under the age of 21 to the United States.

DVLottery.com

The Diversity Visa (DV) program is congressionally-mandated and allows up to 55,000 persons from nations that are historically under-represented in terms of migration to the United States to qualify each year for immigrant visas (green cards). The program is also known as the “green card lottery” or "dvlottery", because the winners are determined through a random drawing from among the 10–12 million people who enter each year.

DiscoverAmerica.com

DiscoverAmerica.com serves as the Official Travel and Tourism Website of the United States. The website is operated by Discover America LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of U.S. Travel, and was developed through a cooperative agreement with the United States Department of Commerce. U.S. Travel is the non-profit, trade organization located in Washington D.C. that represents over 1,700 travel related organizations. U.S. Travel's mission is to promote and facilitate increased travel to and within the United States.

Immigration to the United States

American immigration (emigration to the United States of America) refers to the movement of non-residents to the United States. Immigration has been a major source of population growth and cultural change throughout much of American history. The economic, social, and political aspects of immigration have caused controversy regarding ethnicity, religion, economic benefits, job growth, settlement patterns, environmental impact, impact on upward social mobility, levels of criminality, nationalities, political loyalties, moral values, and work habits. As of 2006, the United States accepts more legal immigrants as permanent residents than any other country in the world. In 2006, the number of immigrants totaled 37.5 million.

U.S. Embassy website

Websites of U.S. Embassies, Consulates, and Diplomatic Missions.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for identifying, investigating, and dismantling vulnerabilities regarding the nation's border, economic, transportation, and infrastructure security. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., ICE is charged with the investigation and enforcement of over 400 federal statutes within the United States, and maintains attaches at major U.S. embassies overseas. Consequently, ICE special agents possess the broadest investigative authority within the United States government.