DV Lottery Program Timeline

As the year draws to a close, the eagerly anticipated 2024 Diversity Visa (DV-2024) Bulletin for January 2024 has been released by the U.S. Department of State (DOS), opening new doors for aspiring immigrants. That’s a big deal if you’re waiting for your priority date to be current so that your green card application can move forward.

The December Visa Bulletin, which is officially referred to as the Visa Bulletin for January 2024 has been released. In this guide, we will learn the cut-off numbers that will apply in the DV-2024 Program during the month of February 2024.

Also, this comprehensive guide, we will explore the insights provided by the January 2024 Diversity Immigrant Visa Bulletin, shedding light on the current state of visa availability and what it means for those seeking to embark on the journey to the United States.

For the previous cut-off numbers from the previous visa bulletin i.e the visa bulletin for the month of December 2023, check this post.

About Visa Bulletin

Department of State (DOS) publishes current immigrant visa availability information in a monthly Visa Bulletin. The Visa Bulletin indicates when statutorily limited visas are available for issuance to prospective immigrants based on their individual priority date.

On Nov. 20, 2014, the Secretary of Homeland Security directed USCIS to work with DOS to:

• Ensure that all immigrant visas authorized by Congress are issued to eligible individuals when there is sufficient demand for such visas, and
• Improve the Visa Bulletin system for determining when immigrant visas are available to applicants during the fiscal year.

Diversity Visa Program | Diversity Visa Bulletin for January 2024

This bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during January for: “Final Action Dates” and “Dates for Filing Applications,” indicating when immigrant visa applicants should be notified to assemble and submit required documentation to the National Visa Center.

Immigrant numbers in the DV category are available to qualified DV-2024 applicants chargeable to all regions/eligible countries as follows. When an allocation cut-off number is shown, visas are available only for applicants with DV regional lottery rank numbers BELOW the specified allocation cut-off number.

Looking at the Diversity Visa Advanced Notifications section of the Visa Bulletin and consider the February 2024 cut-off numbers. Below is the Diversity Visa Advanced Notification section of the Visa Bulletin for the month of January 2024, and here are the various cut-off numbers that will apply during the month of February 2024.

DV 2024: February Cut-Off Numbers Explained

• Africa Region

For Africa region, where the 22,000 cut-off number for the month of January has been increased to 26,500 for the month of February. Obviously, that does not apply to applicants chargeable to the three exception countries from the Africa region.

In the case of the first exception country, Algeria, the February 2024 cut-off number has been established at 26,000. It was 15,000 for the month of January 2024, and it has been increased to 26,000 for the month of February 2024.

In the case of Egypt, the cut-off number to apply during the month of February 2024 is 25,000. It is 15,000 for the month of January, and it has been increased to 25,000 for the month of February.

Finally to Morocco, where the cut-off number for the month of February has been established at 25,000. For January, it is 20,000 and it has been increased to 25,000 for the month of February 2024.

• Asia Region

For Asia region where the 5,500 cut-off number for the month of January 2024 has been maintained for the month of February 2024.

The 5,500 cutoff number applies to applicants that are not chargeable to the two exception countries from the Asia region.

In the case of the exception countries, the January 2024 cut-off number of 5,450 for Iran has also been maintained for the month of February 2024. For Nepal, the 3,000 cut-off number for the month of January has been increased to 4,500 for the month of February 2024.

• Europe Region

For Europe Region where the cut-off number to apply during the month of February 2024 as part of the DV-2024 Program has been established at 13,500. For the month of January 2024, it was established at 12,000, and now it has increased to 13,500 for the month of February, and that does not concern applicants chargeable to the two exception countries from the Europe region.

To the two exception countries, in the case of Russia, the cut-off number that has been established for the month of February 2024 is 13,250. For the month of January, it is 11,500 and it has been increased to 13,250 for the month of February.

In the case of Uzbekistan, the cut-off number that has been established for the month of February 2024 is 5,500. For January 2024, it was 4,750 and it has increased to 5,500 for the month of February 2024.

• North America (Bahamas)

For North America region, where the cut-off number for the months of December 2023 and January 2024 has been maintained for the month of February 2024, making the cut-off number to apply during that month in the North America Region to remain 5.

• Oceania Region

We have 875, that’s the cut-off number to apply in the Oceania region during the month of February 2024. The January 2024 cut-off number for Oceania was 650, and it has been increased to 875 for the month of February 2024.

• South America Region

For South America region, where the cut-off number that has been established for the month of February 2024 is 1,600. It is 1,000 for the month of January, and it has been increased to 1,600 for the month of February, and that concerns the South America region.

Those are the cut-off numbers to apply across all regions and exception countries during the month of February 2024 as part of the DV 2024 Program.

For those who would like to have more explanation concerning visa bulletin and possibly know what the visa bulletin is all about, click the article that is just below and you will be taken to the article.

READ: ALL VISA BULLETIN UPDATES

Determining Visa Availability

USCIS considers several factors to determine if there is a greater supply of visas than the demand for those visas. To determine visa availability, USCIS will compare the number of visas available for the remainder of the fiscal year with:

• Documentarily qualified visa applications reported by DOS;
• Pending adjustment of status applications reported by USCIS; and
• Historical drop off rate of applicants for adjustment of status (for example, denials, withdrawals and abandonments)

In Conclusion:

The Diversity Visa Bulletin for January 2024 serves as a roadmap for those embarking on the journey to secure a place in the United States through the DV Program.

By understanding the nuances outlined in the bulletin, applicants can make informed decisions, navigate the immigration process effectively, and increase their chances of success in the pursuit of diversity and opportunity in the U.S.

Thanks for reading this guide. See you very soon in the next guide.

DISCLAIMER: This post and content is designed for general information only and is NOT legal advice. This site is not offering any Diversity Visa and is not the official site for DV Lottery program. The information presented in this post should not be construed to be formal legal advice.

As the year draws to a close, the eagerly anticipated Diversity Visa (DV) Bulletin for December 2023 has been released by the U.S. Department of State (DOS), opening new doors for aspiring immigrants. That’s a big deal if you’re waiting for your priority date to be current so that your green card application can move forward.

In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the insights provided by the December 2023 DV Bulletin, shedding light on the current state of visa availability and what it means for those seeking to embark on the journey to the United States.

For the previous cut-off numbers from the previous visa bulletin i.e the visa bulletin for the month of November, check this post.

About Visa Bulletin

Department of State (DOS) publishes current immigrant visa availability information in a monthly Visa Bulletin. The Visa Bulletin indicates when statutorily limited visas are available for issuance to prospective immigrants based on their individual priority date.

On Nov. 20, 2014, the Secretary of Homeland Security directed USCIS to work with DOS to:

• Ensure that all immigrant visas authorized by Congress are issued to eligible individuals when there is sufficient demand for such visas, and
• Improve the Visa Bulletin system for determining when immigrant visas are available to applicants during the fiscal year.

Diversity Visa Program | Diversity Visa Bulletin for December, 2023

This bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during December for: “Final Action Dates” and “Dates for Filing Applications,” indicating when immigrant visa applicants should be notified to assemble and submit required documentation to the National Visa Center.

Immigrant numbers in the DV category are available to qualified DV-2024 applicants chargeable to all regions/eligible countries as follows. When an allocation cut-off number is shown, visas are available only for applicants with DV regional lottery rank numbers BELOW the specified allocation cut-off number:

Determining Visa Availability

USCIS considers several factors to determine if there is a greater supply of visas than the demand for those visas. To determine visa availability, USCIS will compare the number of visas available for the remainder of the fiscal year with:

• Documentarily qualified visa applications reported by DOS;
• Pending adjustment of status applications reported by USCIS; and
• Historical drop off rate of applicants for adjustment of status (for example, denials, withdrawals and abandonments)

In Conclusion:

The Diversity Visa Bulletin for December 2023 serves as a roadmap for those embarking on the journey to secure a place in the United States through the DV Program.

By understanding the nuances outlined in the bulletin, applicants can make informed decisions, navigate the immigration process effectively, and increase their chances of success in the pursuit of diversity and opportunity in the U.S.

DISCLAIMER: This post and content is designed for general information only and is NOT legal advice. This site is not offering any Diversity Visa and is not the official site for DV Lottery program. The information presented in this post should not be construed to be formal legal advice.

DV Lottery Program Timeline: What is the timeline for the Diversity Visa Lottery? From applying to winning, from winning to get the visa, from getting the visa to go to the United States of America. What is the timeline?

There are so many changes will be in your life, from the time you apply to the time you arrive in the United States. The process is as follow:

DV Lottery Program Timeline

The application for the diversity visa lottery always starts on the first week of October, which is the first year for the fiscal year of the United States of America.

From October the first week to the first week of November you apply DV lottery. After applying, you have five to six months to wait. That is from November, December, January, February, March, April, up to end of April. Those are six months.

DV Lottery results comes out first week of May. So from the day you apply, you have six months to wait for the results to come out.

Let’s say you have won the DV lottery. What next? What next is there is a timeline. You will fill the visa form, which is called the Department of State form number 260, DS-260.

You are filling the visa form maybe in May, in June, July, doesn’t matter. But the first person to have the DV interview will be on October 1.

DV results comes out in May, you have already waited for six months after applying the DV lottery. Also, you will wait for another five months, i.e May, June, July, August, and September before the DV interview.

If you add six months to five months you will have nine months from the day you applied the DV lottery, then the first person will be interviewed by October.

But your interview might not be in October. It depends on your case number. If someone from Africa, for instance, with zero case number or from one case number to 2000, the interview will be in October. From 2000 to 4000, that will be in November. From 4000 maybe to 7000, that will be in December. Then it goes up that way.

Majority of people, their case number will be at least three to five months later to have the interview. So if you add there, it is almost a year and maybe from the day you applied until the day of the interview, it is more than one year and three months maybe possible, or four months or five months, depending.

Then you go to the interview. From the day of the interview, you are told you have been given the visa. Whether it’s you and your family, you have six months to travel.

Whether you travel on the first day you go to the visa, that’s up to you. You travel next week, next month, two months later. But as long as it’s not exceeding six months, you are good to go.

Majority of people, after receiving the visa, it takes about three months to prepare themselves, especially if they have a family, because there are tickets for the entire family. If you buy quicker, it will be more expensive.

So that makes up to 18 to 20 months, the timeline is long. That’s why there are some people in between, maybe they die, some people in between they get married. Some people in between have children. There are some changes.

If you get married after applying, you are allowed to add the person. If you have the child after applying, you are allowed to add that child in the application in order to go the U.S.

All those are the important things you need to know the timeline. If you are a student, you can still finish your school. You still have almost years in between until you go to America, from the day you apply.

So it is a longer process for people to understand the timeline of the diversity visa lottery.

DISCLAIMER: This post and content is designed for general information only and is NOT legal advice. This site is not offering any Diversity Visa and is not the official site for DV Lottery program. The information presented in this post should not be construed to be formal legal advice.