KATHMANDU: The US Embassy in Nepal today announced the opening of registration of online

application for the 2011 Diversity Visa

(DV) lottery programme from today. The electronic applications will be entertained for nearly two-month period and end on

November 30, 2009.

Applications are strongly encouraged not to wait until the last week of registration period to enter as heavy demand may result in website delays, the embassy stated. The DV programme is designed to bring greater racial and ethnic diversity to the US.

According to the embassy, interview

session for 2010 DV lottery winners will

begin on October 21.

The Department of State implemented the electronic registration system beginning with DV-2005 in order to make the DV process more efficient and secure.

It offers permanent residency visas to citizens of nations that a traditionally low level of immigration to the United States. According to the embassy, the State Department plans to issue 50,000 permanent resident visas worldwide during DV-2011.