DV 2024: Nepali Winners Rank Third in Asia with 3863 Selections, US Announces

The US Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, has officially revealed the count of Diversity Visa (DV) winners for the fiscal year 2024 on Tuesday. Among the winners, Nepali applicants have secured a notable achievement, clinching the third-highest number of slots in the Asian region.

The DV results for this year, which were initially announced in early May, have now disclosed specific country statistics. The data confirms that a total of 3863 Nepali entrants have been selected as DV winners, underscoring a significant accomplishment for the Nepali immigrant community. The Asian region’s DV distribution also includes 5077 winners from Iran and 4536 from Afghanistan, placing them as the top two countries in terms of DV recipients.

Established by the US Congress and administered by the US Department of State, the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program aims to diversify the immigrant population by offering entry to individuals from countries with historically low immigration rates to the United States. This lottery program allocates visas across six geographic regions, ensuring that no single country exceeds seven percent of the available slots in any given year.

Applicants who successfully entered the DV lottery during the application period from October 5 to November 8 of the previous year can now verify their status online. Those selected can anticipate the issuance of US visas commencing from October of the present year.

The confirmation number assigned during the DV application process serves as the key to determining one’s lottery outcome. Individuals not selected will receive a “not selected” message upon entering their confirmation number. Conversely, those chosen will find detailed instructions for the subsequent steps of their immigration process.

In cases where the confirmation number has been misplaced, the US government provides a mechanism for retrieval using the applicant’s name, date of birth, and the email address used during the DV application submission.

Importantly, the US government does not send direct notifications to selected individuals; the Entrant Status Check on the official DV website remains the sole source of guidance for applicants regarding their application status.

The Kentucky Consular Center, located in Williamsburg, Kentucky, has managed the registration and notification of the DV-2024 selectees. The random selection process followed the guidelines set by Section 203(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which allots up to 55,000 permanent resident visas annually to individuals from countries with historically low immigration rates to the US.

Out of the 22,185,619 eligible entries received during the 35-day application period spanning from October 5, 2022, to November 8, 2022, selectees were chosen randomly. The allotted visas are distributed among different geographic regions, with each country’s allocation capped at seven percent of the total number.

As part of the application process, principal applicants must provide evidence of a high school education or equivalent, or a minimum of two years’ work experience in an occupation requiring at least two years of training or experience within the past five years. Chosen applicants are encouraged to promptly follow the instructions provided in their notification letters and complete all required steps.

Selectees currently residing in the United States with legal status can apply for an adjustment of their status by engaging with the US Citizenship and Immigration Services. However, it’s important to note that once the total allocation of 55,000 visa numbers is exhausted, the DV-2024 program for the fiscal year will conclude.

For selectees and their accompanying family members, the eligibility for DV status remains in effect until September 30, 2024. Those who do not obtain visas or legal status by this deadline will not receive further benefits from their DV-2024 registration.

The US Department of State plans to widely publicize the registration period for the DV-2025 program in the upcoming months. Prospective participants are advised to monitor the Department’s Diversity Visa web page for future announcements.

It’s important to mention that the Nicaraguan and Central American Relief Act (NACARA) has stipulated that up to 5,000 of the annually allocated diversity visas will be reserved for the NACARA program. Consequently, the DV-2024 annual limit will be adjusted to approximately 54,850.

The DV-2024 program has welcomed individuals from numerous countries across the world. The following is a breakdown of the statistical distribution of selectees based on the chargeability of their home country:

It’s essential to emphasize that natives of certain countries were deemed ineligible to participate in the DV-2024 program, including Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (including Hong Kong SAR), Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, Venezuela, and Vietnam.