Diversity Visa lottery results delayed to June 6, while immigrant visas remain under ban

Results of the 2021 Diversity Visa (DV) lottery will be delayed by one month and will be available June 6. The registration period opened Oct. 2, 2019 and closed Nov. 5, 2019, and results were originally scheduled to be posted beginning May 5.

Key points:

• Individuals who registered for the 2021 DV lottery may check their results on the U.S. State Department’s Entrant Status Check website beginning June 6 at noon Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).
• Registrants must enter the confirmation number they received when they registered to view whether they have been selected, and should keep their confirmation number until at least Sept. 30, 2021. Those who are selected in the lottery will view instructions in Entrant Status Check about how to apply for immigrant visas for themselves and for eligible family members.
• The U.S. government does not directly notify individuals of their selection in the DV lottery, and the Entrant Status Check website is the only official source where results are posted.
• The presidential proclamation issued April 22 that temporarily suspends immigrant-visa applicants from entering the U.S. bars individuals currently selected for the DV program from receiving visas (but not from adjustment of status), but will only affect the 2021 lottery if the proclamation is extended beyond its current expiration date.

BAL Analysis: The delay in DV lottery results is related to slowdowns caused by COVID-19. Since mid-March, routine visa services, including processing of DV applications, at consulates worldwide have been suspended, and individuals who were selected in the DV lottery should anticipate delays in visa appointments as well as ongoing delays even after consulates reopen. While the entry ban on immigrant applicants is currently set to expire June 22, it is likely to be extended. If it extends beyond Oct. 1, 2020, when DV appointments would normally begin, 2021 DV immigrants would be subject to the entry ban.

This alert has been provided by the BAL U.S. Practice group. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.

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