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U.S. Department of State

Bureau of Consular Affairs

Electronic Diversity Visa

Applicant Entry System: 12.6

U.S. Department of State

Bureau of Consular Affairs

eDV AES: 12.6

Applicant Entry System (AES)

Online Help

Introduction to AES

Navigating in the AES Web Site

The Welcome Page
Entering the Authentication Code

Navigating in the AES Web Site

Moving Between Pages

While in the AES Web site, do not use your Internet browser's Forward and Back
buttons to navigate between pages. The browser's cache (temporarily stored Web
pages and documents) does not refresh, so using your browser's navigation buttons
may display outdated information. Use the buttons provided on the Web site to
ensure you are viewing updated information.

Begin Entry Photo Examples DV-YYYY Instructions Check Status Submit Continue Go
Back to Part 1 Go Back to Part 2 Cancel Cancel Entry Confirm Cancellation Resume
Entry Back To Welcome Page
Print Help Top of Page travel.state.gov

The Welcome Page

When you log on to www.dvlottery.state.gov during the registration period, you will
see the Welcome Page for AES.

You can click the following links:

DV-YYYY Instructions: This link opens a separate Internet browser window containing
detailed instructions for the current DV lottery year, including who is eligible to
enter the lottery, a list of all the information you will need in order to complete
the Entry Form, how to properly compose the required photographs for submission,
and a list of Frequently Asked Questions. To avoid having your entry disqualified,
read and follow these instructions carefully.

Photo Examples: Prior to filling out the Entry Form, use this link to check that
the photographs you intend to submit with your entry will be accepted by the
system. You cannot submit your photographs via this link; this is only to verify
that your photographs are valid.

Begin Entry: This link will open the Authentication Code page. You will have to
successfully enter the code in order to access the Entry Form.

Check Status: This link will take you to the ESC Web site where lottery applicants
can check to see whether their entry was selected for further processing. The
instructions include guidelines for which DV lottery years may check their status,
and the date range they may check their status.

Entering the Authentication Code

Completing the Authentication Code Page

You must enter the code you see on this page to submit your Entry Form.

To enter the displayed code:

In the text field, enter the characters you see displayed and click Submit.
If you are having trouble reading the characters, do one of the following:

Click Refresh to display a new code. Enter the characters in the text field and
click Submit.

Click Speaker to hear an audio clip of the characters. Enter the characters in the
text field and click Submit.
When you click Submit after entering the correct characters, the online Entry Form
will open, via a secure connection, by which you will submit your application and
photographs. You will have up to 60 minutes to submit your Entry Form from the time
you click Begin Entry. You cannot fill out the form offline, and you cannot fill
out only part of the form and complete the rest later. For this reason, it is very
important that prior to clicking this link, you do the following: (1) read the DV
Entry Instructions and gather all the information you will need, and (2) use the
Photo Examples to verify that your photographs will be accepted.

To enter the displayed code:

Click Cancel Entry.

The Confirm Cancellation page is displayed.
Click Confirm Cancellation to discard your Entry Form. The information you filled
out will not be saved. If you decide to enter the DV lottery later, you will have
to fill out the Entry Form again.

Validating and Submitting Photographs

Photo Instructions
Submitting Photo on Part One - Entrant Information
Submitting Photos on Part Two - Derivatives

Photo Instructions

Check That Photographs Meet All Requirements

You must submit recent photographs, taken within the last six months, of:

You
Your spouse
Each unmarried child under 21 years of age at the time of your electronic entry,
including all natural children as well as all legally adopted children and
stepchildren, even if a child no longer resides with you or you do not intend for a
child to immigrate under the DV program.
To validate that a photograph meets all technical requirements:

From the Welcome Page, click Photo Examples. The Photo Requirements web page is
displayed, describing the photo requirements and providing a Photo Cropping Tool.

Submitting Photo on Part One - Entrant Information

Help: Detailed instructions about the technical requirements for photographs can be
found by clicking Photo Examples on the Welcome Page and scrolling down.

Submitting Photographs: You will submit only one photograph for the primary Entrant
on Part One - Entrant Information. Photographs of your spouse and children, if any,
will be submitted on Part Two - Derivatives once you have completed Part One.

To select a photograph to submit:

Under the Entrant Photograph section, click on the Choose New Photo button to open
the Choose File to Upload window.

Note: You can only upload photos using the Choose New Photo button; you cannot
manually type in the file path.

Navigate to the location on your computer where the photograph is stored.

Select the photograph file name and click Open. The textbox will populate with the
file path to the selected photo, and a preview of the selected photo will display
below the textbox.

Note: Once you click Continue on the bottom of Part One, the photograph will be
uploaded to the Entry Form. You can change the photograph you choose to submit up
until you submit the final completed form to the DV lottery.

Submitting Photos on Part Two - Derivatives

Help: Detailed instructions about the technical requirements for photographs can be
found by clicking Photo Examples on the Welcome Page and scrolling down.

Submitting Photographs: You will submit separate photographs for your spouse and
for each child on Part Two - Derivatives. There will be separate fields for each
child based on the number you entered in the Number of Children field on Part One -
Entrant Information.
To select a photograph to submit:

Under the Entrant Photograph section (Spouse, Child #1, etc.), click on the Choose
New Photo button to open the Choose File to Upload window.

Note: You can only upload photos using the Choose New Photo button; you cannot
manually type in the file path.

Navigate to the location on your computer where the photograph is stored.

Select the photograph file name and click Open. The textbox will populate with the
file path to the selected photo, and a preview of the selected photo will display
below the textbox.

Note: Once you click Continue on the bottom of Part Two, all photographs will be
attached to the Entry Form. You can change the photograph you choose to submit up
until you submit the final completed form to the DV lottery.

Completing the Entry Form

Completing the Entry Form for the Primary Entrant

Completing the Entry Form for Derivatives

Completing the Entry Form for the Primary Entrant

Begin Entry

Help: Below are a few basic tips for completing the Entry Form. For a blank sample
of Part One - Entrant Information, click here or scroll down. For detailed
instructions on each form field, click here or scroll down.

The Entry Form: Click Begin Entry on the Welcome Page to start filling out the
Entry Form. The form is divided into two parts. Part One - Entrant Information
gathers information about only the primary Entrant (the eligible person applying to
the DV lottery). Part Two - Derivatives gathers information about derivatives (your
spouse and children), if any. You must complete Part One before filling out Part
Two. The Entry Form only supports U.S. keyboard characters.
Note: You will have up to 60 minutes to submit your Entry Form from the time you
click Begin Entry. You cannot fill out the form offline, and you cannot fill out
only part of the form and complete the rest later. For this reason, it is very
important that prior to clicking this link, you do the following: (1) read the DV
Entry Instructions and gather all the information you will need, and (2) use the
Photo Examples to verify that your photograph will be accepted.

Entry Form Links: The Entry Form contains links to the Country of Eligibility list,
the Photo Examples, and the Qualified Occupations list. All of these links will
open in new windows. This allows you to seek additional information without losing
your place on the Entry Form.
Completing Part One: Once you have filled out all information on Part One - Entrant
Information, click Continue. One of the following will happen:
If you have derivatives, Part Two - Derivatives will open for you to complete.
If you have no derivatives, the completed Entry Form will be displayed for you to
review. Go to Submitting a Completed Entry Form for details.
Below is a blank sample of the Entry Form Part One - Entrant Information.
To complete Part One - Entrant Information, fill out the fields as follows:

Name
Last/Family Name: Type your last or family name in the field. You must enter a
last/family name. If you don't have one, you may need to move your first name or
middle name to the last/family name field. 'NLN' and 'LNU' are not accepted.
First Name: Type your first name in the field. If you don't have one, select the No
First Name check box.
Middle Name: Type your middle name in the field. If you don't have one, select the
No Middle Name check box.
Note: You must fill out the last/family name field. Each name field takes a maximum
of 33 characters.

Gender: Select either Male or Female.

Birth Date
Day: Type in the day of birth.
Month: Type in the month of birth.
Year: Type in the year of birth. The principal Entrant must be at least 13 years
old at the time of your electronic entry.
City Where You Were Born: Type the city where you were born. Do not enter the
district, county, province, or state, even if that is all you know about where you
were born. If you don't know the actual city where you were born, select the Birth
City Unknown check box.
Country Where You Were Born: Click the arrow to open the list of countries, and
click the correct country to populate the field.
Note: If the name of your birth country has changed, select the name by which the
country is currently known.

Country of Eligibility for the DV Program: The majority of Entrants are eligible to
enter the DV lottery program based on the country where they were born. Were you
born in a country whose natives are eligible for the current DV lottery year?

Yes: You don't have to make any changes. Yes is selected by default.
No: Select No. Then click the arrow to open the list of countries, and click the
correct country of eligibility to populate the field.
Note: Select the Explanation of Country of Eligibility link on the Entry Form to
learn about the special circumstances in which you can be eligible to enter the DV
lottery based on a country other than the one in which you were born.

Passport: In order to submit an entry for the Diversity Visa program, you must
currently possess a valid, unexpired passport from your country of nationality,
unless exempt (see below). If you are selected as a lottery winner and invited to
submit a formal visa application, you will be required to present this passport at
the time of interview, even if it later expired after you submitted your entry,
otherwise you may be disqualified. Please answer A or B:
A) Passport Information

Name on Passport:
Last/Family Name: Type your last or family name in the field. You must enter a
last/family name. If you don't have one, you may need to move your first name or
middle name to the last/family name field. 'NLN' and 'LNU' are not accepted.
First Name: Type your first name in the field. If you don't have one, select the No
First Name check box.
Middle Name: Type your middle name in the field. If you don't have one, select the
No Middle Name check box.
Note: You must fill out the last/family name field. Each name field takes a maximum
of 33 characters.
Passport Number: Type the passport number listed on your valid, unexpired passport
from your country of nationality.
Note: You must fill out the passport number field. This field only takes a maximum
of 9 alphanumeric characters, no special characters, and no spaces.

Passport Expiration Date: Type the passport expiration date listed on your valid,
unexpired passport from your country of nationality.
Month: Type in the month of passport expiration.
Day: Type in the day of passport expiration.
Year: Type in the year of passport expiration.
Country/Authority of Issuance: Click the arrow to open the list of countries, and
click the correct country to populate the field.
Note: If the name of your country/authority of issuance has changed, select the
name by which the country/authority of issuance is currently known.

B) Passport Exemption

In certain rare circumstances, you may be exempt from the requirement to submit a
passport. Please select the checkbox and select one of the following exemption
reason to indicate if you either (1) stateless (no nationality); (2) you are a
national of a Communist-controlled country; or (3) you have received an individual
waiver of the passport requirement from the Department of State as evidenced by a
specific confirmation document from the Department.
Note: See volume 22 of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, specifically 22 CFR
42.2(d), (e), or (g) for more information on exemption criteria.

Entrant Photograph: Click Choose New Photo to open the Choose File to Upload
window, and navigate to the location on your computer where your photograph is
stored.
Next, click Open to populate the textbox with the file path and display a preview
of the selected photograph. If you need to replace the selected photo, click Choose
New Photo again and select a new photo file.
Note: Once the file path to your photograph appears in the textbox and the photo
you selected displays, you can proceed to the next question. Once you click
Continue at the bottom of the Entry Form, the photo will be uploaded to your form.

Mailing Address
In Care Of: If someone other than yourself, such as a relative or lawyer, will be
receiving mail for you, enter their name here. You may leave this field blank.
Address Line 1: Type the first line of your address here. This field is required.
Address Line 2: Type additional address information, such as an apartment number,
here. You may leave this field blank.
City/Town: Type the city or town of the address in this field. This field is
required.
District/County/Province/State: Enter the appropriate information for your address.
This field is required.
Postal Code/Zip Code: Type the postal or zip code here. If the address does not
require this information, select the No Postal Code/Zip Code check box.
Country: Click the arrow to open the list of countries, and select the correct
country to populate the field. This field is required.
Country Where You Live Today: Click the arrow to open the list of countries, and
select the correct country to populate the field.
Note: Where you live today does not affect your eligibility for the DV lottery
program.

Phone Number: You may type a phone number here where you may be contacted. This
field may be left blank.
E-Mail Address: Type an e-mail address here by which you may be contacted. This
address will be used in the future if you are selected and you respond through the
ESC Web site. Please note that email addresses containing spaces are not accepted.
E-Mail Address: Type the e-mail address here.
Confirm E-Mail Address: Type the same e-mail address here to confirm that it was
entered correctly. You cannot copy and paste your address from the first field; you
must retype it.
What is the highest level of education you have achieved, as of today?: Select the
level of education that is the best match for you.
What is your current marital status?: Select your marital status. If you are
Legally Separated, you can choose to include your spouse by selecting the Enter
Spouse Information check box.
Number of Children: If you have any biological children, legally adopted children,
or stepchildren less than 21 years old at the time of your electronic entry, you
must enter a number here, even if only some, or none, of them would be immigrating
with you. If you have no children, you may leave this field blank.
Note: If you are currently pregnant or in the process of adopting a child, do not
count that child. If you are selected and you have a child that was born or adopted
after you entered the lottery, you will be able to add them to your application at
that point. You may list a maximum of 20 children.

Click Continue. One of the following will happen:

If you have derivatives, Part Two - Derivatives will open for you to complete.
If you have no derivatives, the completed Entry Form will be displayed for you to
review. Go to Submitting a Completed Entry Form for details.
Completing the Entry Form for Derivatives

Finish Entry

Help: Below are a few basic tips for completing the Entry Form. For a blank sample
of Part Two - Derivatives, click here or scroll down. For detailed instructions on
each form field, click here or scroll down.

The Entry Form: If you indicate that you have a spouse or children on Part One -
Entrant Information, clicking Continue on Part One will open Part Two -
Derivatives. The form will include entries for each child, based on the number you
entered in the Number of Children field on Part One.
Note: You will have up to 60 minutes to submit your Entry Form from the time you
click Begin Entry. You cannot fill out the form offline, and you cannot fill out
only part of the form and complete the rest later. For this reason, it is very
important that prior to clicking this link, you do the following: (1) read the DV
Entry Instructions and gather all the information you will need, and (2) use the
Photo Examples to verify that your photographs will be accepted.
Entry Form Links: Part Two contains a link to the Photo Examples. This link will
open in a new window to ensure that you won't lose your place on the Entry Form.
Editing Part One: If you need to return to Part One to edit or change any
information, you must click Go Back to Part 1. Do not use your Internet browser's
Back button or you will lose your information.
Completing Part Two: Once you have filled out all information on Part Two -
Derivatives, click Continue. The entire completed Entry Form displays for you to
review. Go to Submitting a Completed Entry Form for details.
Below is a blank sample of the Entry Form Part Two - Derivatives.

To complete Part Two - Derivatives, fill out the fields as follows:

14. Spouse Name

Last/Family Name: Type your spouse's last or family name in the field. You must
enter a last/family name for your spouse. If they don't have one, you may need to
move your spouse's first name or middle name to the last/family name field. 'NLN'
and 'LNU' are not accepted.
First Name: Type your spouse's first name in the field. If they don't have one,
select the No First Name check box.
Middle Name: Type your spouse's middle name in the field. If they don't have one,
select the No Middle Name check box.
Note: You must fill out the last/family name field. Each name field takes a maximum
of 33 characters.

14d. Birth Date

Day: Type in the day of birth.

Month: Type in the month of birth.
Year: Type in the year of birth. The spouse must be at least 13 years old at the
time of your electronic entry.
14e. Gender: Select either Male or Female.

14f. City Where Spouse Was Born: Type the city where your spouse was born. Do not
enter the district, county, province, or state, even if that is all you know about
where they were born. If you don't know the actual city where your spouse was born,
select the Birth City Unknown check box.

14g. Country Where Spouse Was Born: Click the arrow to open the list of countries,
and click the correct country to populate the field.

Note: If the name of your spouse's birth country has changed, select the name by
which the country is currently known.

14h. Spouse Photograph: Click Choose New Photo to open the Choose File to Upload
window, and navigate to the location on your computer where the photograph is
stored.

Next, click Open to populate the textbox with the file path and display a preview
of the selected photograph. If you need to replace the selected photo, click Choose
New Photo again and select a new photo file.
Note: Once the file path to the photograph appears in the textbox and the photo you
selected displays, you can proceed to the next question. Once you click Continue at
the bottom of the Entry Form, the photo will be uploaded to your form.

15. Child #1 Name

Last/Family Name: Type your child's last or family name in the field. You must
enter a last/family name for your child. If they don't have one, you may need to
move your child's first name or middle name to the last/family name field. 'NLN'
and 'LNU' are not accepted.
First Name: Type your child's first name in the field. If they don't have one,
select the No First Name check box.
Middle Name: Type your child's middle name in the field. If they don't have one,
select the No Middle Name check box.
Note: You must fill out the last/family name field. Each name field takes a maximum
of 33 characters

15d. Birth Date

Day: Type in the day of birth.

Month: Type in the month of birth.
Year: Type in the year of birth. The child must be less than 21 years old at the
time of your electronic entry. You cannot type a future date of birth.
Note: If you are currently pregnant or in the process of adopting a child, do not
count that child. If you are selected and you have a child that was born or adopted
after you entered the lottery, you will be able to add them to your application at
that point.

15e. Gender: Select either Male or Female.

15f. City Where Child Was Born: Type the city where your child was born. Do not
enter the district, county, province, or state, even if that is all you know about
where they were born. If you don't know the actual city where your child was born,
select the Birth City Unknown check box.

15g. Country Where Child Was Born: Click the arrow to open the list of countries,
and click the correct country to populate the field.

Note: If the name of your child's birth country has changed, select the name by
which the country is currently known.

15h. Child Photograph: Click Choose New Photo to open the Choose File to Upload
window, and navigate to the location on your computer where the photograph is
stored.

Next, click Open to populate the textbox with the file path and display a preview
of the selected photograph. If you need to replace the selected photo, click Choose
New Photo again and select a new photo file.
Note: Once the file path to the photograph appears in the textbox and the photo you
selected displays, you can proceed to the next question. Once you click Continue at
the bottom of the Entry Form, the photo will be uploaded to your form.

Click Continue. The entire completed Entry Form displays for you to review. Go to
Submitting a Completed Entry Form for details.

Submitting and Confirming the Entry Form

Submitting a Completed Entry Form

The Submission Confirmation Page

Submitting a Completed Entry Form

Enter the DV Lottery

Once you have completed Part One - Entrant Information if you have no spouse or
children, and Part Two - Derivatives if you have a spouse or children, click Submit
to preview the entire completed form.

To submit your entry to the DV lottery:

Review the completed Entry Form.

Do one of the following:

If you need to make changes, click Go Back to Part 1 to edit the Entrant
Information form, or click Go Back to Part 2 to edit the Derivatives form, as
appropriate. Do not use your Internet browser's Back button.
If you don't want to submit your entry at this time, click Cancel the Entry. The
information you filled out will not be saved. If you decide to enter the DV lottery
later, you will have to fill out the Entry Form again.
If you are ready to submit your Entry Form, first print the form for your records
using your Internet browser's Print icon. Then click Continue.
The Submission Confirmation: Entry Received Page

Verifying That Your Entry Was Received

Once your Entry Form has been successfully submitted to the DV lottery, you will
see the Submission Confirmation: Entry Received page.

Note: This page includes vital information that you must save so you can later
check the status of your Entry Form. Either print this page using your Internet
browser's Print icon or make a note of the information for your records.

Entrant Name: The name of the primary Entrant, arranged by Last/Family Name, First
Name Middle Name.

Confirmation Number: You must keep your Confirmation Number in order to check the
status of your Entry after the lottery selection process has been completed.

Year of Birth: Birth year of the primary Entrant.

Digital Signature: This series of numbers and letters is automatically generated

after you click the final Continue to submit your entry. You will need this
signature only in the event that a dispute arises over your Entry Form.

Assistance Information

For more information about Diversity visas:

Go to: travel.state.gov
Click U.S. Visas
Click Immigrate
Click Diversity Visa Program – Entry
Introduction
Photographs
Entry Form
Submission
Assistance Information

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