Green Card Lottery

U.S. Diversity Visa (Green Card) Lottery

The United States government issues 50,000 Green Cards every year through the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, commonly known as the Green Card Lottery.

Each year, 50,000 immigrant visas are made available through a lottery to people who come from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. The program is not available to people who come from countries that have sent more than 50,000 immigrants to the United States in the past five years. The State Department's National Visa Center holds the lottery every year through a computer-generated random lottery drawing of the qualified entries. Anyone who is selected under this lottery will be given the opportunity to apply for permanent residence. If permanent residence is granted, then the individual will be authorized to live and work permanently in the United States. Winners will also be allowed to bring your spouse and any unmarried children under the age of 21 to the United States.

 

• 1Green Card Marriage
• 2Resident Card Renewal
• 3PERM
• 4Green Card Lottery
  • 4.1FAQ
  • 4.2Discussion Forum
  • 4.3Related Links

[top]FAQ

Who is Eligible to Enter the Diversity Visa Lottery?
You or your spouse must be a native of a country that is eligible to participate in the Diversity Visa Lottery. You may also be eligible to apply if your parent was born in a country that is eligible to participate. However, the State Department will publish the names of countries that are eligible to participate before each year's lottery. Visit the following website: Diversity Visa Program for more information.
You must have a high school diploma or the equivalent, defined in the United States as successful completion of a 12-year course of elementary and secondary education; OR you must have two years of work experience within the last five years in an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience to perform.

How Do I Apply?
Before each year's lottery drawing, the Department of State will publish explicit instructions on how to apply in press releases, the Federal Register and their websites: Diversity Visa Program and Electronic Diversity. Please follow all directions exactly. Millions of applicants are rejected each year for failure to follow the directions. Instructions are usually posted in August, and the registration period is usually held between November and January each year.

How Can I Find Out More Information?
Along with visiting the websites listed above, you may also call the State Department's Visa Lottery Information Center at 1-900-884-8840 for more information. Please note: There is a charge for each call.

How Much Does the Lottery Cost?
There is no fee for entering the diversity visa lottery. If you win, you must pay a fee for an immigrant visa and a separate visa lottery surcharge.

How Can I Find Out If I Won?
Only the winners will be notified by mail at the addresses listed on their applications. Winners will be sent instructions and information on fees. Being selected as a winner in the diversity visa lottery does not automatically guarantee that you will be issued a visa, even if you are qualified. The number of entries selected is greater than the number of immigrant visas available, because not everyone selected will be qualified for the visa or will choose to complete the processing. Once all 50,000 visas have been issued, the diversity visa program for the year will end.

What are the procedures if I am notified by mail that I was selected?
If you are selected you have the right to apply for an immigrant visa at the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in your country. Winners will be notified by mail by the Kentucky Consular Center (KCC), which handles the administrative processing for all DV Immigrant Visa Application. The KCC sends the winners instructions and informational forms to fill out and return to the KCC. Once the KCC receives all the completed forms necessary to qualify visa applicants and family members for a DV Immigrant Visa interview, they will schedule an appointment for the visa interview at the U.S. Embassy in your country.

What documents are necessary for the visa interview?
The instructional packet will list specific documents you need to bring to the interview. The following are general requirements only to bring to the visa interview:

1. Two FORWARD FACING color photographs 5cm. x 5cm. (2in.x 2in.) taken within the last six months. The photographs should be non-glossy, have a white background, and be of good quality. Only the face should be visible. Note: The Consular Section is no longer requiring 3/4 profile photographs. Photos should now be FORWARD FACING. For more detailed information visit: Guidelines for Producing High Quality Photographs for U.S. Travel Documents
2. Passport (valid for a minimum of six months).
3. Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration Form DS-230 (part I and II), original.
4. Medical forms (original).
5. US$ [xxx] per person the cost of a resident or immigrant visa is, which can be paid in cash the day of the interview
6. US$ [xxx] per person surcharge
7. Birth Certificate (original and photocopy).
8. Marriage Certificate (original and photocopy), if applicable.
9. Divorce or death certificates (original and photocopy), if applicable.
10. Police Certificate (police certificates are required from every visa applicant aged 16 years or older.

TRANSLATIONS: All documents not in English or Spanish must be accompanied by a certified English translation.

A consular officer will then conduct an interview with the visa applicant only, to determine whether he/she is eligible for the visa. If all documents are in order and the applicant is found eligible, an immigrant visa will be issued. The applicant's passport will remain with the Consular Section in order to place the visa in his/her passport. After receiving the immigrant visa, the alien will have 6 months to travel to the U.S., at which time he or she will present his/her passport with the visa to the immigration officer at the port of entry into the U.S. Once the alien is admitted, the immigration officer will place a stamp in the alien's, which indicates that he/she is now a legal permanent resident of the United States. The Permanent Resident Card Form I-551 (formerly know as "Green Card") will be mailed to the resident alien's address in the U.S. (The resident alien's Social Security card will also be mailed to his/her address in the U.S.). While the resident alien is waiting to receive by mail his/her Permanent Resident Card Form I-551 ("Green Card"), he/she may use the stamp in his/her passport as proof of legal permanent residency in the U.S.


 

Other FAQ

What is the US Green Card Lottery Program?
The United States Government submits each year about 50,000 Green Card visas randomly using a lottery program law that passed by Congress.

How many steps it takes to fill out the entire entry form?
There are only 3 steps to complete the entire application form.

How long does it take to complete the 3 steps above?
It takes up to ten minutes.

Are there minimum requirements to participate?
Yes. The participant/applicant must be a native of a country that appears on the list of qualifying countries and must meet the minimum requirements concerning education OR employment status.

What are the requirements for education or work experience?
The law and regulations require that every applicant must have at least a high school education or its equivalent or, within the past five years, have two years of work experience in an occupation requiring at least two years training or experience. A "high school education or equivalent" is defined as successful completion of a twelve-year course of elementary and secondary education in the United States or successful completion in another country of a formal course of elementary and secondary education comparable to a high school education in the United States. Documentary proof of education or work experience should not be submitted with the lottery entry, but must be presented to the consular officer at the time of the visa interview. To determine eligibility based on work experience, definitions from the Department of Laborer's O*Net Online database will be used.

If I do not meet the minimum requirements can I participate in the lottery program?
No. If you do not meet the minimum requirements, you cannot enter the lottery program.

How many applications can I send?
Any applicant may submit only one application form. However, if you are married you can double your chances by submitting one additional application form under your spouse name (your husband/wife).

What happens if I live in a different country than the one I was born in?
No problem. The automatic application process will ascertain that in such cases your application will be submitted correctly and not be disqualified.

What can I do if I was born in a country that does not appear on the list of qualifying countries?
You can participate by charging nativity of the country of birth of your spouse (husband/wife) or your parents' country of birth. This is possible if your spouse or one of your parents was born in a country that appears on the list of qualifying countries.

May persons who are in the U.S. apply for the program?
Yes, an applicant may be in the U.S. or in another country, and the entry may be submitted from the U.S. or from abroad.

Can I pay more to increase the chances of winning?
No. All the participants in the lottery have an equal opportunity. The winners are chosen randomly by a computer program.

How can I know if I won?
All winners will be informed by mail. The notice will be sent to the same address filled out on the application. Participants who do not win will not be notified.

Are there additional fees?
There are no extra charges for participating in the American Green Card Lottery Program, aside from the fee for using the on-line registration.

How can I be sure that my application was filled correctly with all information needed?
USAGC will recheck you information and will fill the actual registration form to the U.S. authorities. In case of a missing or a wrong information USAGC will notify you and recheck the form before final submission.

What family members must I included on my form?
On your entry form you must list your spouse, that is husband or wife, and all unmarried children under 21 years of age, with the exception of a child who is already a U.S. citizen or a Legal Permanent Resident. You must list your spouse even if you are currently separated from him/her. However, if you are legally divorced, you do not need to list your former spouse. For customary marriages, the important date is the date of the original marriage ceremony, not the date on which the marriage is registered. You must list ALL your children who are unmarried and under 21 years of age, whether they are your natural children, your spouse's children by a previous marriage, or children you have formally adopted in accordance with the laws of your country, unless a child is already a U.S. citizen or Legal Permanent Resident. List all children under 21 years of age even if they no longer reside with you or you do not intend for them to immigrate under the DV program. The fact that you have listed family members on your entry does not mean that they later must travel with you. They may choose to remain behind. However, if you include an eligible dependent on your visa application forms that you failed to include on your original entry, your case will be disqualified. (This only applies to persons who were dependents at the time the original application was submitted, not those acquired at a later date.) Your spouse may still submit a separate entry, even though he or she is listed on your entry, as long as both entries include details on all dependents in your family.

May a husband and a wife each submit a separate form file an application separately?
Yes, a husband and a wife may each submit one entry if each meets the eligibility requirements. If either were selected, the other would be entitled to derivative status. In this way you double your chances.

If I have won, do I have to emigrate with my family to U.S.?
No. The fact that you have listed family members on your entry does not mean that they later must travel with you. They may choose to remain behind..

Is there a minimum age to participate?
There is no minimum age to apply for the program, but the requirement of a high school education OR work experience for each principal applicant at the time of application will effectively disqualify most persons who are under age 18.

What happens to my spouse and the children if I win?
If you win these family members can join you in filling a request for a visa based on your winning.

May persons who are already registered for an immigrant visa in another category apply for the Green Card Program?
Yes, such persons may apply for the program.

[top]Discussion Forum

Latest threads from the forum Green Card Issues

Labor certification process, I-140 petition, adjustment of status I-485, consular processing, green card lottery, etc.

 

[top]Related Links

Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery Instructions

Diversity Visa Program

How Do I Participate in the Diversity Visa Lottery Program?

Diversity Visa Lottery: Read the Rules, Avoid the Rip-Offs

Diversity Immigrant Visa - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Green Card Lottery (DV-Program): Registration and Entry Requirements

YouTube - DV-2009: US Diversity Visa (Green Card) Lottery

Diversity Visa Lottery: Read the Rules, Avoid the Rip-Offs

Green Card Lottery Online Service: We Guarantee DV-2009 Diversity Visa Lottery Error-Free Submission



How to Update Wiki

The Law Wiki is still very new and so it's a great time to jump in and start updating it and learning how to use it. You really can't mess anything up, because all revisions are stored and can be rolled back by a moderator, so play away and you can help make this a great resource for WORLDLawDirect visitors.