The Diversity Visa (DV) Program, commonly known as the Green Card Lottery, awards up to 50,000 immigrant visas each year to citizens of countries with low immigration rates, based on a random drawing. Thousands of people apply every year to this unique program, hoping to gain permanent residency in the United States. The purpose of the Green Card Lottery is to diversify the immigrant population in the United States with citizens from countries who aren’t able to legally travel to the United States to receive a green card. We will go over eligibility requirements, how to apply, and how the process for the Green Card Lottery works. 

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Eligibility Requirements 

To apply to the Green Card Lottery, participants must meet the following eligibility requirements: 

  1.  Citizenship of an Eligible Country: Applicants must be citizens of a country with low rates of immigration to the United States. The list of eligible countries varies each year and is determined by the U.S. government. To determine if your country is eligible, visit the US Department of State’s website to see the updated list. 

If your native country is not eligible, you can still qualify if: 

  •  Your spouse was born in an eligible country. You can apply with your spouse and choose your spouse’s birth country on your application.
  • Neither of your parents were legal residents in your country of birth. You can choose between your mother or father’s country of birth on your application.
  1. Education or Work Experience: Applicants must have at least a high school diploma or its equivalent, defined as successful completion of a 12-year course of formal elementary and secondary education, or applicants can qualify based on work experience. Typically, this requires at least two years of work experience within the last five years in an occupation that requires at least two years of training.

Application Process 

Applicants will need to fill out an application on the official Green Card Lottery website, which is typically managed by the U.S. Department of State. Applications must be submitted before the specified deadline, usually in early November, but it varies each year. Make sure to check the official Green Card Lottery website to see the exact dates and deadlines for the specified year. 

The application will ask you to provide personal details, including full name, date of birth, gender, and country of birth. Make sure you are accurately filling out these sections. If you are planning on traveling with your family, each eligible family member must be listed in the application. Additionally, you may be asked to upload a recent photograph of yourself, your spouse, and each child listed on the application. Follow the specific instructions from the Green Card Lottery application for photograph size, format, and quality. Once you submit your application, you will want to make sure to keep a note of your confirmation number. This number will allow you to check the status of their application by using the Entrant Status Check link on the Green Card Lottery website.

Selection of Winners

After the application period closes, the U.S. Department of State conducts a computer-generated random drawing to select the Green Card Lottery winners. This drawing is designed so no one country receives more than 7% of the Green Card visas available in a given year. Applicants are selected based on their eligibility and the geographic region from which they applied. Keep in mind not all qualified applicants are selected due to the high number of applicants. If chosen as a winner, applicants will receive further instructions on how to proceed with their visa application, including information about fees, required documentation, and the interview process.

Contact CoxEsq, P.C. Today to Schedule a Free Consultation 

It is important to an immigration attorney at CoxEsq, P.C. today to schedule a free consultation if you wish to learn more about applying for the Green Card Lottery. Contact us today if you would like to learn more about the ways an immigration lawyer can benefit you and your family members.