Diversity Lottery Visa Program

Diversity visa applications are only accepted electronically. Applicants may submit their own entries or have someone submit the entry on their behalf. The registration period for the 2009 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program is from 12:00PM EDT (GMT -4) on October 3, 2007 to 12:00PM EST (GMT -5) on December 2, 2007. For more information about this program, please visit the website http://travel.state.gov/pdf/2009DVInstructions.pdf

Pre-Selection

Individuals pre-selected to participate in the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program will receive a packet of forms and instructions from the Kentucky Consular Center (KCC) that they will need to complete and return to the KCC.

The entries of individuals chosen to participate in the pre-selection phase will undergo a final random selection at the Kentucky Consular Center. The finalists will be notified by KCC of the date and time of their interview appointment at the U.S. Interests Section.

Those individuals who had not been contacted by the Kentucky Consular Center by July should assume that they have not been selected to participate in this year’s program.

On the day of their interview applicants need to arrive at the park located near the U.S. Interests Section between Calzada and K streets at 7:00 a.m. and bring the following documentation:

• Appointment letter from the Kentucky Consular Center
  
  
• Valid passport and a photocopy of the pages where the issuance and expiration dates appear
  
  
• (2) Frontal color photos measuring 50mm x 50mm
  
  
• Birth certificate
  
  
• Civil status certificate, indicating whether the applicant is single, married, or widowed.
  
  
• Criminal records (if the applicant is over 16 years of age). If the applicant has a criminal record, he or she will need to bring the court sentence at the time of the interview. In addition, applicants who have resided abroad for one year or more will need to submit a copy of his or her criminal records from the foreign country where he or she resided. Applicants that resided for one year or more in countries such as Angola, Ethiopia, former Soviet Union, Germany, Poland, the Check Republic, Romania, Hungary, or Bulgaria will need to consult with the offices of the Civil Registry located between Linea and E streets in Vedado, Havana to obtain this document. Applicants that have resided abroad for one year or more in other countries will need to contact the embassy of that foreign country. If the applicant is unable to obtain these records, the applicant will need to refer to the employer that hired him or her during that period of time.
  
  
• Medical exam. Beneficiaries need to check the list of hospitals where they can have their medical examination.
  
  
  
• Evidence of economic solvency such as a bona-fide employment offer and/or submission of the Affidavit of Support I-134.
  
  
  
• School certificate and/or evidence of working experience. The main applicant must present a school certificate demonstrating that he or she has obtained a twelfth grade education or has two years of working experience in a profession that requires at least one year of training. The applicant’s spouse and children 18 years or older must also present their school certificate and/or working experience.

On the day of their interview, applicants are required pay the nonrefundable fee of $718 convertible pesos (CUCs) per person. Please note that this nonrefundable fee covers the cost of the interview and does not guarantee the issuance of an immigrant visa.

Approved applicants ages 16-80 are subject to special visa processing under the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Reform Act. While we make every attempt to promptly issue travel documents to qualified applicants, at times it may be necessary to wait several weeks for the results of security background checks. Once we receive this clearance, we will be able to make a final determination in the case.

For additional information about this program, please contact the Kentucky Consular Center at phone number (606) 526-7500, fax (606) 526-7501, or e-mail kccdv@state.gov