DV-2012 confirmation is made of 16 digits of alphabets and numbers. And the confirmation number begins with 2012. When the DV-2012 applicants made their submission in the online American green card lottery web site last year they were shown with this unique confirmation number and were asked to make a copy of it or to make a print out of it.

Further more the U.S State Department has mentioned that they will not send individual winners selection by postal mail. Instead all the dv 2012 applicants must check their green card lottery status online in the official dvlottery web site of the American Government in the given period. Those who are selected for the program must follow the given instructions and must proceed with the winning. Those who are not selected for the Green card lottery 2012 can apply for the next green card lottery 2013 this year.

When checking the DV 2012 results you will have to provide the 16 digits confirmation number along with their personal details. If they failed to do so, then they will not get their DV lottery online status results.

Don't confuse with the confirmation number and the case number. Case numbers are issued only to the DV lottery winners in their selection order.
DV 2011 confirmation number is no more valid as the web site had closed that section for checking the DV 2011 results. The DV Instructions said that the DV 2011 results will be available till 30th June 2011but on 30th April the page to check the status of the DV 2011 results was closed by the US State Department.

Those who had lost their confirmation number will not be reissued with a new case number although many people who kept their DV 2012 confirmation numbers throw it out after checking the results in the month of May 2011. But to their disappointment the results are void and they are now in a position that they can't check their results online when the DV 2012 results will be available in July 15th after the new name selection for the dv2012 visa lottery program.