• You must be from an eligible country.  You must have been born in an eligible country, or have parents who were born in eligible countries and who were not residents of your country of birth when you were born.   Each year, the State Department announces the countries whose natives are eligible to apply during the registration period.
• You must meet an education or training requirement: a high school education or the successful completion of a 12-year course of elementary and secondary education, or at least two years of work experience within the last five years in an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience to perform.

Applicants from Benin must have at least a Baccalaureate diploma or a Diplôme technique industriel (DTI).  Applicants who do not have qualifying diplomas may demonstrate two years working in the past five years in an occupation requiring two years of training or experience.  These are jobs in zones 4 or 5 with an SVP of 7 and above.  Click here to access this information.

Applicants who entered the visa lottery may check to see if they were successful at DVlottery.  Successful applicants will be given an interview date on which they should appear for an interview with all the required documents and medical reports. 

Interviews for DV visas start in October of the preceding year and continue until September 30 of the lottery year.  For example, DV 2011 interviews began in October of 2010 and end September 30, 2011. 

It is important to note that no DV visas can be issued after the Embassy closes for business on September 30 of the lottery year.   

Diversity visa applicants should attend the scheduled interview with all the required documents to avoid any delays that may affect their chances to have a visa issued before September 30.  This warning is particularly important for applicants whose interviews are scheduled for the month of September.  Applicants who have been asked for additional documentation should make every effort to provide it as soon as possible.

WARNING:

Applicants presenting fraudulent documents may be found permanently ineligible for any future visa to the United States. The same ineligibility may also apply to applicants who enter into a marriage for the sole purpose of obtaining a visa for the newly acquired spouse.