Deciphering E-DV Entry Status Confirmation Messages

Every year in May, the U.S. State Department grants the opportunity to obtain a visa—based on availability in each region or country—to a random number of applicants in a lottery system. After entering, you can check your status on the electronic diversity visa (E-DV) website. There, you will receive one of two messages letting you know if your entry has been selected for further processing for the diversity visa.

Types of Messages

This is the message you will receive if your entry was not selected for further processing:

Based on the information provided, the Entry HAS NOT BEEN SELECTED for further processing for the Electronic Diversity Visa Program.

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What Are the Chances of Winning the Green Card Lottery?

By Jennifer McFadyen

If you receive this message, you were not selected for this year's green card lottery, but you always can try again next year. This is the message you will receive if your entry was selected for further processing:

Based on the information and confirmation number provided, you should have received a letter by mail from the United States Department of State's Kentucky Consular Center (KCC) notifying you that your Diversity Visa entry was selected in the DV lottery.

If you have not received your selectee letter, please do not contact KCC until after August 1. International mail delivery delays of one month or more are normal. KCC will not respond to questions they receive before August 1 regarding non-receipt of selectee letters. If you still have not received your selectee letter by August 1, however, you may contact KCC by email at kccdv@state.gov.

If you receive this message, you were selected for this year's green card lottery. Congratulations! You can see what each of these messages looks like on the Department of State website.

What Is the Diversity Visa Program?

The State Department publishes instructions every year on how to apply for the program and establishes a window of time when applications must be submitted. There is no cost to submit an application. Being selected does not guarantee an applicant a visa. Once selected, applicants must follow instructions on how to confirm their qualifications. This includes submitting Form DS-260, the immigrant visa, an alien registration application, and the required supporting documents.

Once appropriate documentation has been submitted, the next step is an interview at the relevant U.S. embassy or consulate office. Prior to the interview, the applicant and all family members must complete medical examinations and receive all required vaccinations. Applicants also must pay the diversity visa lottery fee prior to the interview. For 2018 and 2019, this fee was $330 per person. The applicant and all family members immigrating with the applicant must attend the interview.

Odds of Being Selected

Applicants will be informed immediately after the interview if they have been approved or denied for a visa. The statistics vary by country and region, but overall in 2015, fewer than 1% of applicants were selected for further processing. It's also important to remember that immigration policies are not static and subject to change. Always double check to make sure you are following the most current versions of laws, policies, and procedures.