American Green Card Lottery Access Center
Instructions on How to Enter
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- WARNING: Never pay anyone to submit your official Green Card Lottery entry for you. It is easy to submit your own official entry for free. The US Government does NOT call winners, does NOT send email messages to winners, and does NOT mail letters to lottery winners.
Those who submitted official online entries into Green Card Lottery DV-2013 on the US Government's official website can check the status of their entries by returning to the US Government's official website at http://www.dvlottery.state.gov on or after July 15, 2012, through June 30, 2013.
The US Diversity Visa Program for the year 2011, called American Green Card Lottery DV-2013, is now closed.
The next Green Card Lottery, for the year 2012, is called American Green Card Lottery DV-2014. It will run from approximately October 3, 2012 until approximately November 5, 2012. Information about DV-2014 will be posted on this website when that information is released by the U.S. Government.
The information on this page is officially about Green Card Lottery DV-2013. However, most of the rules apply to each Lottery. Please check back after May 2012 for updated information about DV-2014.
The Entry Data Form on this web site is NOT your official entry into the Lottery, and we are NOT affiliated with the U.S. Government. We are a service company that has been assisting clients with digital photos for use in the Green Card Lottery since 1996. It will be our pleasure to assist you with your digital photo as well. The Entry Data Form on this web site is only to show you what questions are asked on the official entry form. You are under no obligation to actually submit our Entry Data Form. However, if you do submit that form, you will automatically receive an email message with instructions about what to do next.
LOTTERY REQUIREMENTS
MUST BE A NATIVE OF A QUALIFYING COUNTRY--Usually your country of birth
Native of a country whose natives qualify: In most cases, this means the country in which you were born. However, there are two other ways you may be able to qualify. First, if you were born in a country whose natives are ineligible but your spouse was born in a country whose natives are eligible, you can claim your spouse’s country of birth—provided that both you and your spouse are on the selected entry, are issued visas, and enter the United States simultaneously. Second, if you were born in a country whose natives are ineligible, but neither of your parents was born there or resided there at the time of your birth, you may claim nativity in one of your parents’ countries of birth if it is a country whose natives qualify for the DV-2013 program. Click here for list of eligible countries
MUST MEET EITHER THE EDUCATION OR TRAINING REQUIREMENT
To enter the lottery, you must meet either the education or work experience requirement of the DV program: You must have either a high school education or its equivalent, defined as successful completion of a 12-year course of elementary and secondary education; OR two years of work experience within the past five years in an occupation requiring at least two years of training or experience to perform. The U.S. Department of Labor’s O*Net OnLine database will be used to determine qualifying work experience. For more information about qualifying work experience, see Frequently Asked Question #13.
If you cannot meet the above requirements, you should NOT submit an entry
into the DV program.
HOW TO ENTER
REQUIREMENTS FOR ENTRY
- To enter the DV lottery, you must be a native of one of the listed countries.
- Native of a country whose natives qualify: In most cases, this means the country in which you were born. However, there are two other ways you may be able to qualify. First, if you were born in a country whose natives are ineligible but your spouse was born in a country whose natives are eligible; you can claim your spouse’s country of birth, provided both you and your spouse are on the selected entry, are issued visas, and enter the U.S. simultaneously. Second, if you were born in a country whose natives are ineligible, but neither of your parents was born there or resided there at the time of your birth, you may claim nativity in one of your parents’ country of birth, if it is a country whose natives qualify for the DV-2014 program.
- To enter the lottery, you must meet either the education or work experience requirement of the DV program.
Education or Work Experience: You must have either a high school education or its equivalent, defined as successful completion of a 12-year course of elementary and secondary education; OR two years of work experience within the past five years in an occupation requiring at least two years of training or experience to perform. The U.S. Department of Labor’s O*Net Online Database will be used to determine qualifying work experience. For more information about qualifying work experience, see Frequently Asked Question #13. If you cannot meet either of these requirements, you should NOT submit an entry to the DV program.
PROCEDURES FOR SUBMITTING AN ENTRY TO DV-2014
- The Department of State will only accept completed Electronic Diversity Visa (E-DV) Entry Forms submitted electronically at www.dvlottery.state.gov/between approximately October 3, 2012 and approximately November 5, 2012.
- All entries by an individual will be disqualified if more than ONE entry for that individual is received, regardless of who submitted the entry. You may prepare and submit your own entry or have someone submit the entry for you. There are NO COSTS or FEES to register for the DV Program.
- A successfully registered entry will result in a confirmation screen containing your name and a unique confirmation number. You must print this confirmation screen for your records using the print function of your web browser and ensure that you retain your confirmation number. Starting May 1, 2014, you will be able to check the status of your DV-2014 entry by returning to website www.dvlottery.state.gov Entrant Status Check and entering your unique confirmation number and personal information. Entrant Status Check will be the sole means of informing you of your selection for DV-2014, providing instructions to you on how to proceed with your application, and notifying you of your appointment for your immigrant visa interview. Therefore, it is essential you retain your confirmation number. The U.S. Department of State is unable to provide your entry confirmation number if it is lost.
- Paper entries will not be accepted.
- It is very important that all required photographs be submitted. Your entry will be disqualified if all required photographs are not submitted. Recent photographs of the following people must be submitted electronically with the Electronic DV entry form:
- 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.
- Group or family photographs will not be accepted; there must be a separate photograph for each family member.
- Failure to submit the required photographs for your spouse and each child listed will result in an incomplete entry to the E-DV system. The entry will not be accepted and must be resubmitted.
- On your entry, you must list your spouse (husband or wife), and all unmarried children under 21 years of age, regardless of whether or not they are living with the petitioner or intend to accompany or follow to join the petitioner should the petitioner immigrate to the United States, with the exception of children who are already U.S. citizens or Legal Permanent Residents. A spouse or child who is already a U.S. citizen or a Lawful Permanent Resident will not require or be issued a DV visa. However, you should include all family members in your registration and photos of each family member who will apply for a DV visa. Group or family photographs will not be accepted; there must be a separate photograph for each family member.
Failure to enter the correct photograph of each individual into the E-DV system may result in disqualification of the principal applicant and refusal of all visas associated with the case at the time of the visa interview.
- Entries are subject to disqualification and visa refusal for cases in which the photographs are not recent, show manipulation in any way, or fail to meet the specifications explained below.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING A DIGITAL PHOTO (Image)
A digital photograph (image) of you, your spouse, and each child must be submitted online with the E-DV entry form. The image file can be produced either by taking a new digital photograph or by scanning a photographic print with a digital scanner. The image file must adhere to the compositional and technical specifications listed below. Entrants may test their photos for suitability through the photo validation link on the e-DV website before submitting their entries. The photo validation provides additional technical advice on photo composition, along with examples of acceptable and unacceptable photos.
- Head Position
- o The person being photographed must directly face the camera.
o The head of the person should not be tilted up, down, or to the side.
o The head height or facial region size (measured from the top of the head, including the hair, to the bottom of the chin) must be between 50 percent and 69 percent of the image's total height. The eye height (measured from the bottom of the image to the level of the eyes) should be between 56 percent and 69 percent of the image's heigh
- Background
- o The person being photographed should be in front of a neutral, light-colored background.
o Dark or patterned backgrounds are not acceptable.
- Focus
- The photograph must be in focus.
- Decorative Items
- o Photographs in which the person being photographed is wearing sunglasses or other items that detract from the face will not be accepted.
- Head Coverings and Hats
- o Photos of applicants wearing head coverings or hats are only acceptable if the head covering is worn for religious beliefs; even then, the head covering may not obscure any portion of the face of the applicant. Photographs of applicants with tribal or other headgear not specifically religious in nature will not be accepted; photographs of military, airline, or other personnel wearing hats will not be accepted.
- Color photographs in 24-bit color depth are required. Color photographs may be downloaded from a camera to a file in the computer or they may be scanned onto a computer. If you are using a scanner, the settings must be for True Color or 24-bit color mode. See the additional scanning requirements below.
TECHNICAL PHOTO SPECIFICATIONS
The submitted digital photograph must conform to the following specifications or the system will automatically reject the E-DV entry form and notify the sender.
- Taking a New Digital Image. If a new digital image is taken, it must meet the following specifications:
- Image File Format:
The image must be in the Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) format.
- Image File Size:
The maximum image file size is 240 kilobytes (240 KB).
- Image Resolution and Dimensions:
Minimum acceptable dimensions are 600 pixels (width) x 600 pixels (height). Image pixel dimensions must be in a square aspect ratio (meaning the height must be equal to the width).
- Image Color Depth:
24-bit color [Note: Color photographs are required. Black and white, monochrome images (2-bit color depth), 8-bit color, or 8-bit grayscale will not be accepted.]
- Scanning a Submitted Photograph. Before a photographic print is scanned, it must meet the compositional specifications listed above. If the photographic print meets the print color and compositional specifications, scan the print using the following scanner specifications:
- Scanner Resolution:
Scanned at a resolution of at least 300 dots per inch (dpi).
- Image File Format:
The image must be in the Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) format.
- Image File Size:
The maximum image file size is 240 kilobytes (240 KB).
- Image Resolution:
600 by 600 pixels.
- Image Color Depth:
24-bit color. [Note that black and white, monochrome, or grayscale images will not be accepted.]
INFORMATION REQUIRED FOR THE ELECTRONIC ENTRY
There is only one way to enter the DV-2014 lottery. You must submit the DS 5501, the Electronic Diversity Visa Entry Form (E-DV Entry Form), which is only accessible only at www.dvlottery.state.gov. Failure to complete the form in its entirety will disqualify the entry.
If we correct your digital photos, we will email the corrected photos back to you and YOU must then submit them and your official entry into the lottery at www.dvlottery.state.gov.
NOTICE: The Department of State strongly encourages applicants to complete the entry form without the assistance of “Visa Consultants,” “Visa Agents,” or other individuals who offer to submit an entry on behalf of applicants. If you use the services of somebody else to complete your entry form, you should be present when the entry is prepared, and you should retain the confirmation page and your unique confirmation number. Facilitators may try to withhold confirmation numbers in order to make an unlawful demand for money in exchange for notification information that should have been directly available to you.
Your confirmation number from your DV-2014 online entry registration is required to enable you to go to the E-DV website and receive notification of whether your entry has been selected through the Entrant Status Check available as of May 1, 2013, on the E-DV website www.dvlottery.state.gov. Entrant Status Check will be the sole means of informing you of your selection for DV-2014, providing instructions to you on how to proceed with your application, and notifying you of the date and time of your appointment for your immigrant visa interview. If you lose your confirmation information, you will not be able to check your DV entry status, and we will not resend the confirmation page information to you.
Those who submit the E-DV entry will be asked to include the following information on the E-DV Entry Form.
1. FULL NAME – Last/Family Name, First Name, Middle name. Enter your name exactly as listed on your passport.
2. DATE OF BIRTH – Day, Month, Year
3. GENDER – Male or Female
4. CITY WHERE YOU WERE BORN
5. COUNTRY WHERE YOU WERE BORN – The name of the country should be that which is currently in use for the place where you were born.
6. COUNTRY OF ELIGIBILITY OR CHARGEABILITY FOR THE DV PROGRAM – Your country of eligibility will normally be the same as your country of birth. Your country of eligibility is not related to where you live. If you were born in a country that is not eligible for the DV program, please review the instructions to see if there is another option for country chargeability available for you.
7. ENTRY PHOTOGRAPH(S) – See the technical information on photograph specifications. Make sure you include photographs of your spouse and all your children, if applicable.
8. MAILING ADDRESS – In Care Of, Address Line 1, Address Line 2, City/Town, District/Country/Province/State, Postal Code/Zip Code, and Country
9. COUNTRY WHERE YOU LIVE TODAY
10. PHONE NUMBER (optional)
11. E-MAIL ADDRESS – provide an e-mail address to which you have direct access. You will NOT receive an official selection letter at this address. However, if your entry is selected and you respond to the notification of your selection through the Entrant Status Check, you will receive follow-up communication from the Department of State by e-mail notifying you that details of your immigrant visa interview are available on Entrant Status Check.
12. WHAT IS THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION YOU HAVE ACHIEVED, AS OF TODAY? You must indicate which one of the following represents your own highest level of educational achievement: (1) Primary school only, (2) High school, no degree, (3) High school degree, (4) Vocational school, (5) Some university courses, (6) University degree, (7) Some graduate level courses, (8) Masters degree, (9) Some doctorate level courses, and (10) Doctorate degree.
13. MARITAL STATUS – Unmarried, Married, Divorced, Widowed, or Legally Separated.
14. NUMBER OF CHILDREN – Entries MUST include the name, date, and place of birth of your spouse and all natural children. Entries must also include all children legally adopted by you, and step-children who are
unmarried and under the age of 21 on the date of your electronic entry, even if you are no longer legally married to the child’s parent, and even if the spouse or child does not currently reside with you and/or will not immigrate with you. Note that married children and children 21 years or older are not eligible for the DV; however, U.S. law protects children from ―aging out‖ in certain circumstances. If your DV entry is made before your unmarried child turns 21, and the child turns 21 before visa issuance, he/she may be protected from aging out by the Child Status Protection Act and be treated as though he/she were under 21 for visa-processing purposes. You are not required to list a spouse or child who is already a U.S. citizen or a Lawful Permanent Resident, as they will not be eligible for a DV visa. Failure to list all children who are eligible will result in disqualification of the principal applicant and refusal of all visas in the case at the time of the visa interview.
15. SPOUSE INFORMATION – Name, Date of Birth, Gender, City/Town of Birth, Country of Birth, and Photograph. Failure to list your eligible spouse will result in disqualification of the principal applicant and refusal of all visas in the case at the time of the visa interview. You must list your spouse here even if you plan to be divorced before you apply for a visa.
16. CHILDREN INFORMATION – Name, Date of Birth, Gender, City/Town of Birth, Country of Birth, and Photograph: Include all children declared in question #14 above.
SELECTION OF APPLICANTS
Based on the allocations of available visas in each region and country, the computer will randomly select individuals from among qualified entries. All DV- 2014 entrants will be required to go to the E-DV website Entrant Status Check using the confirmation number saved from their DV-2014 online entry registration to find out whether their entry has been selected in the DV program. Entrant Status Check will be available starting May 1, 2013, at the E-DV website www.dvlottery.state.gov. Selectees will be directed to a confirmation page that will provide further instructions, including information on fees connected with immigration to the United States. Entrant Status Check will be the ONLY means by which selectees will be notified of their selection for DV-2014. The Department of State will not be mailing out notification letters. Those selected in the random drawing are NOT notified of their selection by e-mail. Those individuals NOT selected will be notified of their non-selection through Entrant Status Check. U.S. embassies and consulates will not provide a list of selectees. Selectees’ spouses and unmarried children under age 21 may also apply for visas to accompany or follow-to-join the principal applicant. DV-2014 visas will be issued between October 1, 2013, and September 30, 2014.
Processing of entries and issuance of DVs to selectees meeting eligibility requirements and their eligible family members MUST occur by midnight on September 30, 2014. Under no circumstances can DVs be issued or adjustments approved after this date, nor can family members obtain DVs to follow-to-join the principal applicant in the United States after this date.
In order to receive a DV to immigrate to the United States, those chosen in the random drawing must meet ALL eligibility requirements under U.S. law. These requirements may significantly increase the level of scrutiny required and time necessary for processing for natives of some countries listed in this notice including, but not limited to, countries identified as state sponsors of terrorism.
Important Notice
Electronic online entry in the annual DV program is FREE (there is no fee). The U.S. government employs no outside consultants or private services to operate the DV program. Any intermediaries or others who offer assistance to prepare DV entries do so without the authority or consent of the U.S. government. Use of any outside intermediary or assistance to prepare a DV entry is entirely at the entrant’s discretion. The ONLY website on which people can officially register to participation in the Diversity Program is www.dvlottery.state.gov. A qualified electronic entry submitted directly by an applicant has an equal chance of being randomly selected by computer, as does a qualified electronic entry received from an outside intermediary on behalf of the applicant. However, receipt of more than one entry per person will disqualify the person from registration, regardless of the source of the entry.
EASY-TO-UNDERSTAND SUMMARY OF HOW YOUR DIGITAL PHOTOS SHOULD LOOK
The U.S. Government's requirements for entry into Lottery DV-2014 state that each digital photo MUST be a recent photo. That means you will need to take new digital photos AFTER JUNE 3, 2012. If you wish for us to do a quick free check to see if corrections are needed, you can email your digital photos to us as attachments to an email message sent to info@americangreencard.com AFTER JULY 1, 2012.
Over 95% of all photos we receive need digital size adjustments. Make sure you take your photos using the following instructions, and we can then make digital adjustments.
- The photo must be square (the width must equal the height).
- Each photo must be a color passport-type photo, with only the head and shoulders appearing in the shot.
- Head, shoulders and eyes must be facing straight into the camera with both sides of the face and ears equally visible. NO shadows are allowed to show on any part of the face.
- The background must be a plain LIGHT color such as white (NOT red, NOT blue, NOT any bright color. NO objects or shadows are allowed to be seen in the background.
- The head should take up approximately half of the space in the photo. Do NOT smile.
- Hats or head covers are not allowed unless they are required for religious reasons. Even then, no part of the face can be covered.
- Eyeglasses are acceptable in the photo only if the lenses are NOT tinted and there is no glare, no reflections of light on the lenses or frames, no shadows, and the rims/frames do not obscure the eyes. Glare on eyeglasses can usually by avoided by a slight upward or downward tilt of the head.
- Sunglasses are NOT allowed.
- Click here to see samples of properly taken photos.
EASY-TO-UNDERSTAND SUMMARY OF HOW TO TAKE NEW DIGITAL PHOTOS
Each digital photo MUST be in .jpg digital formal.
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The camera setting should be either normal or high quality.
- Background: The person being photographed should be in front of a neutral, light-colored background. Dark or patterned backgrounds are not acceptable.
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The digital format MUST be .JPG.
- Image Color Depth: 24-bit color (Note that black and white, monocrome, or grayscale images will not be accepted.
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The ideal final digital photo should look like the samples below, will be 600mm by 600mm, with a print resolution of 300dpi.
- Image File Size: The maximum image file size is 240 kilobytes (240 KB).
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If your digital camera cannot take a square photo, do the following:
Set the camera for high quality
Take a
horizontal shot (a photo wider than it is tall), with the head and shoulders showing as in
samples of properly taken photos below. We can then crop to get rid of any excess white space on each side of the photo and make it square. If the final digital size is too large, we can adjust it to meet the U.S. Government's requirements of. We will also make all the digital resolutions meet the exact requirements.
EASY-TO-UNDERSTAND SUMMARY OF HOW TO SCAN EXISTING PHOTOS
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Get a high-quality scan (at least 300dpi).
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The final scanned photo MUST be in .JPG format.
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The scanned size resolutions should be 600mm by 600mm.
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The final digital photo should look like the sample photo below.
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If close to the required digital resolutions, we can adjust it to exactly meet the requirements.
Email each required digital photo as a separate attachment to the message you send to info@americangreencard.com . Be sure to identify who is in each digital photo you send to us.
SAMPLES OF PROPERLY TAKEN PHOTOS
CORRECT PHOTO
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CORRECT PHOTO
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CORRECT PHOTO
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SAMPLES OF WRONG PHOTOS
WRONG...
Nothing allowed in back-
ground; do NOT smile
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WRONG...
Resolution too low; not in
sharp focus; do NOT smile
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WRONG...
Shadow on background;
do NOT smile
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WRONG...
Shadow on side of face; do
NOT smile
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HOW TO EMAIL US YOUR DIGITAL PHOTOS
- Email us the following items
- In the Subject Line of your email message, type in the words "Digital Photos Attached".
- In your email message, include as attachments a separate Digital
Photo of each each person who's digital photo you are attaching.Digital photo are required for yourself,
your spouse (if married) and each child listed on your entry form.
- In your email message, list the following:
- The email address to which you wish us to return the reviewed and corrected digital photos as attachments to a message.
- The method of payment you are using to send the service fee for reviewing and correcting your digital photos ($60 U.S. only for each digital photo you send to us for size correction.)
- See "Service Fee Instructions" on this page for payment options.
We will do one free check and will let you know if corrections are needed. We cannot correct photos until after receiving your service fee.
HOW TO USE OUR DIGITAL PHOTO REVIEW AND DIGITAL PHOTO SIZE CORRECTION SERVICES
- Go to http://www.americangreencard.com/howenter.htm to confirm you meet the education or work requirements to enter the Green Card Lottery. A list of elgible countries is here.
- Take your required digital photos or scan existing photos. Complete photo instructions are at http://www.americangreencard.com/howenter.htm .
- Check to see if your photos will be accepted by the U.S. Government on their "Photo Validator" page at http://www.dvlottery.state.gov/photo.aspx (available after approximately October 4, 2012).
- If the U.S. Government approves your digital photos at http://www.dvlottery.state.gov/photo.aspx (available after approximately October 4, 2012), then go ahead and submit your entry and photos at no charge at the U.S. Government's official entry site at http://www.dvlottery.state.gov/application.aspx (available after approximately October 4, 2012)
- If the U.S. Government rejects your digital photos, you may email them to us at info@americangreencard.com , along with confirmation of how you are sending the $60 service fee for EACH digital photo you email to us for size correction.Be sure you email the photos as "attachments" to your message. Click here for a complete list of service fee options.
- After receiving our service fee, we review the digital photos you email to us, and we let you know what corrections are needed.
- We then email your corrected digital photos back to you. It is your responsibility to make sure that your email service provider allows you to receive digital photos as attachments to messages in your inbox. We can only return corrected digital photos as attachments to a reply to your original message.
- You then go to the U.S. Government's official entry site at http://www.dvlottery.state.gov/application.aspx (available after approximately October 4, 2012) and submit your entry and corrected digital photos. After you submit your official entry, the U.S. Government immediately emails confirmation of receipt of your entry directly to you. You can then use their information to track your entry.
SERVICE FEE INSTRUCTIONS
Fee for our photo review and correction services:
$60 for each digital photo reviewed and digital size corrected.
Accepted form of service fee payment (in U.S. Dollars Only):
- Western Union Money Transfer (Click here to see Western Union Money Transfer Instructions)
- Cash, Cashier's Check, or Money Order mailed to the following address (NO PERSONAL CHECKS).
Please Note: We do NOT accept credit card payments. We do NOT accept personal checks.
The US Government's official acceptance period for DV-2014 will be from approximately October 4, 2012 until approximately November 5, 2012. The last day for American
Green Card Lottery Access Center to receive the service fee and your digital photos for correction is October 27, 2012. Digital photos for Green Card Lottery DV-2014 must be taken after June 3, 2012.
All available information is available at www.americangreencard.com and www.americangreencard.com/howenter.htm. Therefore, we will not reply to messages until after July 1, 2012.
No refunds allowed.
MORE ABOUT OUR SERVICES
Over 95% of all photos we receive need corrections to meet the U.S. Government's requirements. Photos that are not taken correctly result in an entry being automatically disqualified. Also, if the digital resolutions are not exactly correct, the U.S. Government's official entry web site will not even accept your photos.
American Green card Lottery Access Center accepts your entry data every day of the year, reviews your digital photos, and makes digital size corrections to your digital photos, as needed.
After receiving the service fee, we review your digital
photos and make digital size corrections as needed. Remember...over 95% of all photos we receive need corrections to meet the U.S. Government's requirements.
If your photos are not correct, we either adjust the digital resolutions to meet the exact requirements or we request new photos from you...which we then review and adjust if necessary.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT
THE GREEN CARD LOTTERY
The United States Government holds one American Green Card Lottery
each year, and there are 50,000 winners in each Lottery. Qualified winners and
their family members can receive a US Green Card and the right to live and work
in the USA.
You may email us your digital photos for Green Card Lottery DV-2014
after July 1, 2012!
IMPORTANT NOTE: There is no fee to enter the Lottery; however, we do
charge a fee for our service to correct the digital sizes of your photos. You are reminded that we are not affiliated with the US Government. We are a service company that has been assisting clients with entries into the Lottery since 1996. It will be our pleasure to assist you with your digital photos for use with you official entry..
Best Wishes and Good Luck!
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