2008 Diversity Visa Lottery Registrations

Via US Department of State

Over 6.4 million entries for the 2008
Diversity Visa Lottery were received during the two-month electronic
registration period, from October 4, 2006, through December 3, 2006.
This is an increase from the more than 5.5 million applications
received in the 2007 Diversity Visa Lottery. Taking into account
dependents, there are more than 10 million participants in the 2008
Diversity Visa Lottery.

Most of the applications
were from Africa and Asia with 41 percent of the total from Africa, 38
percent from Asia, 19 percent coming from Europe, and 2 percent coming
from South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. The largest
number of applicants came from Bangladesh (more than 1.7 million
applicants) followed by Nigeria (684,735) and Ukraine (619,584). The
number of winning entries by country will be available after the random
lottery process is conducted next year.

The electronic registration
process makes it easier for applicants to apply and continues to
increase the Department’s ability to screen against duplicate and other
fraudulent entries. Anti-fraud technology using facial recognition and
data mining will be used to eliminate duplicate cases.

Winners will be notified with
a letter mailed from the Kentucky Consular Center confirming the name,
date of birth, and country of chargeability for the registrant, as well
as a time/date stamp when entries were registered. Notification will be
sent to the winning entrants by mail only between April and July 2007
and will provide further instructions, including information on fees
connected with immigration to the United States.

There have been several
attempts to defraud Diversity Visa Lottery entrants. Lottery entrants
selected as winners in the Diversity Visa random drawing are notified
only by the Department of State’s Kentucky Consular Center. No other
organization or company is authorized by the Department of State to
contact winning entrants.

2006/1121

Released on December 15, 2006