The U.S. Department of State announces the launching of the Diversity Visa lottery program for 2009, starting October 3, 2007 until December 2, 2007. This program is also commonly called the “Green Card Lottery.” The DV-2009 lottery will be conducted entirely by electronic means and, as every year, this lottery is free of charge for interested applicants. Persons who wish to apply for the diversity visa lottery should go to www.dvlottery.state.gov where they will find the standard petition form. Applicants from eligible countries petition the Department of State for the opportunity to apply for one of the 50,000 immigrant visas made available annually. Only those selected at random and notified by the U.S. Department of State will then be eligible to apply for an immigrant visa to the United States. The Diversity Visa program was established by the United States Congress in 1990 to ensure that people from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States would have a chance to immigrate and achieve the American dream. Each year, approximately 6 million people worldwide register to participate in the program.