Green Card Lottery – Diversity Immigrant Visa Program

Want to get a U.S. Green Card lottery? The diversity immigrant visa program is what you need. Read through this full article to get full information about how to take advantage of this program.

Green Card Lottery
Green Card Lottery

Diversity Immigrant Visa Program

The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV Program) makes up to 50,000 immigrant visas available each year. Which is chosen at random from all entries to individuals from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. The US Department of State oversees the DV Program (DOS).

The majority of lottery winners live outside the United States and enter the country through consular processing and the issuance of an immigrant visa.

What is the US Electronic Diversity Visa Lottery?

The Green Card Lottery, also known as the US Electronic Diversity Visa Lottery, is a Department of State initiative that allows up to 55,000 applicants to be chosen at random to acquire a Green Card or permanent residency paper visa.

This program was created to welcome more diverse immigrants to the United States from nations with lower immigration rates. The prize is a residence card, also known as a Green Card.

What is the US Electronic Diversity Visa Lottery?

The Diversity Visa allows you to live in the United States as a permanent resident, and if you are chosen, you must enter the country within six months of receiving your new visa.

So make sure to enter the United States before your visa expires.

Eligibility for the DV Visa Program

Here are the various criteria for qualifying for the DV visa program;

Countries Eligible for the DV Lottery

Citizens from countries that do not typically send many immigrants to the United States are chosen to diversify the immigrants who enter this country.

If you are a citizen of one of the following countries, you are not eligible to participate in the DV2025 Green Card Lottery program this year:

  • Bangladesh
  • Brazil
  • Canada
  • China (Including Hong Kong SAR) (Including Hong Kong SAR)
  • Colombia
  • Republic of the Dominican Republic
  • The Republic of El Salvador
  • Haiti
  • Honduras
  • Jamaica
  • Mexico
  • Nigeria
  • Pakistan
  • Philippines
  • Korea, South
  • The United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland)
  • Venezuela
  • Vietnam

Education

The second major requirement for Diversity Visa applicants is a high school diploma or at least two years of work experience in a profession that requires at least two years of training, as determined by the US Department of Labor.

How to Apply for the DV Lottery Program

To apply for this lottery, follow the process below;

  • Go to the website; usadiversitylottery.com
  • When you get to the home page, click on the button that says “Click here to register”
  • This leads you to a new page, fill out the form given with the information requested such as your first name, last name, email address, etc.
  • After that click to take the test.
  • Take the Expert test to determine your eligibility to participate in the Lottery.
  • Pay the small administrative application fee.
  • Then, receive your account’s registration number and password.
  • Complete/modify the information in your account.
  • Upload/provide photos of yourself and any co-applicants.
  • Fill out and submit your DV 2025 Lottery application.
  • Check online to see if you were chosen for the Green Card Lottery.

Selection and Notification

A computer program selects the winners of the Diversity Visa lottery at random, with a certain number of visas allocated to each region of the world and no single country receiving more than 7% of the Diversity Visas available in any given year.

Although the exact dates vary, people who have applied for a Diversity Visa can check the status of their application beginning in early May of the year following their application by using the Entrant Status Check link on the Diversity Visa webpage. You have to keep the number safe, so you will be seen once you have been approved.

If you are chosen in the green card lottery, you and your family must meet the same requirements as any other U.S. green card applicant. Certain types of criminal records may preclude you from obtaining a green card. There are also some medical conditions that may make obtaining a green card difficult or impossible.

What’s Next After Applying for DV Lottery Program

There are two reasons to act immediately: To begin with, your application must be processed and your visa issued by the end of the fiscal year in which you were selected.

When you are notified that you have been selected for the Diversity Visa, you will be given a numerical rank that will determine when you can apply for your visa. To find out when you can submit your application, check the State Department’s visa bulletin near the end of July. The first visas will be available on October 1, the first day of the fiscal year for the United States government, and you can apply up to 90 days in advance.

What If you Are Outside the United States of America

The vast majority of people chosen for the Diversity Visa are not in the United States and will apply for a green card through their home country’s US consulate. As soon as you see that a visa is available, submit form DS-260 to the National Visa Center.

Meet all the requirements and your immigrant visa will be approved at the interview. Note that once your application has been processed, it will be sent to the US consulate.

If You Happen to Be in The United States,

For those with temporary immigration status (also known as “non-immigrant status”). When you win the Diversity Visa lottery, you will apply for a green card through US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) by submitting Form I-485. According to the visa bulletin, you should submit your application as soon as a visa becomes available.

Diversity Visa Cost

There is no entry fee for the green card lottery. But you will be required to pay the mandatory green card application fees. If you are chosen, you will receive information and fee details on the Diversity Visa website.

Diversity Visa Timeline

Green card lottery winners are typically notified 7 months after submitting their application. Depending on how soon you apply for your visa, it can take up to 14 months to be scheduled your interview and receive your visa.

If you applied for the 2023 green card lottery during the registration period (October to November 2021), the winners would be announced in May 2022. You would be able to apply for your visa only during the fiscal year 2023. Which runs from October 1, 2022, to September 30, 2023. However, apply early so you can be called on time.

Tips to Help You Avoid Scams

Unfortunately, scammers sometimes use the Diversity Visa program to defraud hopeful immigrants. Here are a few pointers to help you avoid common Diversity Visa scams:

  • It is free to enter the Diversity Visa lottery. Anyone claiming to collect a fee on behalf of the Department of State is defrauding prospective immigrants.
  • The Department of State does not notify winners by mail or email; the only way to find out if you’ve been chosen is to check the status of your application using Entrant Status Check.

Entering the Diversity Visa lottery is similar to entering any other lottery in that the odds of winning are low, but if you’re lucky, it can be a way to come to the United States even if you don’t have any family or employment contacts. However, if you are married to a US citizen, applying for a marriage green card is almost always the better option.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Many Diversity Visas Will Go to Each Eligible Country?

The number of Diversity Visas allocated to each country is calculated by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) using a formula outlined in Section 203(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Each year, no country can receive more than 7% of the total number of Diversity Visas available.

How Long Does It Take to Get a Diversity Visa?

Green card lottery winners are usually notified 7 months after applying. Depending on how soon you apply for your visa, it can take up to 14 months for the government to schedule your interview and issue your visa.

Can My Spouse and I Each Submit Separate Entries?

Yes, each spouse may apply for their own Diversity Visa. If one of your spouses is chosen, the other spouse will be eligible for a green card as your dependent.

Is There a Minimum Age To Apply For A Diversity Visa?

There is no minimum age requirement. But the requirement for a high school diploma or work experience precludes most people under the age of 18 from applying.

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