The Green Card Lottery registration period for 2013 begins at noon on October 1, 2013 and participants can begin registering for the lottery online at that time.
Applications for the Green Card Lottery will only be accepted between October 1 and November 2 for 2013. Late applications will not be accepted.
Potential immigrants who miss the registration period in 2013 will need to wait until 2014’s registration period. However, there is some doubt as to whether or not there will be another Green Card Lottery after 2013.
DV 2015
The 2013 registration period is for the Diversity Visa Program 2015. It is called the DV 2015 because the immigration visas won by registrants in 2013 will be distributed in 2015.
People from the following countries cannot claim their own country for the DV 2015: Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Mainland China, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, South Korea, the United Kingdom and all dependent territories with the exception of Northern Ireland. Vietnam is also ineligible.
Applicants for this Diversity Visa Lottery will be able to check the status of their applications on May 1, 2014 with the confirmation numbers they are given at the end of their electronic registration.
When Should I apply?
Applicants should consider the most appropriate time to apply for the Green Card Lottery. It is not wise to jump into registration as registrants are only given one chance to fill out a complete application per year.
Applicants for the Green Card Lottery should make sure that they have all the information they need to apply for the lottery before they begin registration.
Though there is a limited window in which one can apply for the lottery, the day on which one applies for the Green Card Lottery does not affect one’s chances of winning the lottery.