The Diversity Visa Program, or "Green Card Lottery", is an annual draw organized by the US State Department to give approximately 50,000 people the opportunity to obtain a permanent residence permit in the US. The visas provided in this program are reserved for those born in countries with a low immigration rate to the United States.
The annual lottery application period lasts about a month, and it is not very easy to correct any errors in the documents - in fact, it is common to be disqualified for not completing them correctly. Consequently, it is very important to fill in everything correctly and quickly. Here's how to participate in the Green Card Lottery.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Assess eligibility
Step 1. Consider whether you want to be admitted temporarily or permanently to the United States
The lottery is reserved for those who want to become a permanent resident of the USA. If you just want a temporary visa - for example, to go on vacation, visit relatives, or for work - this lottery is not for you. Rather, you may need a temporary non-migrant visa or, if you are from an eligible country, you may qualify for the facilitated visa program. Canadian and Bermuda citizens, subject to certain restrictions, do not need a visa for a temporary visit to the US.
Step 2. Consider the possible suitability for other forms of visa for migrants
If you have a sponsor, such as a family member or an employer, or if you qualify for a special visa, there may be other options available, better than the random draw. Information about these options is available on the Department of State website, https://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/types/types_1326.html. In any case, you can participate in the lottery even if you are registered in another visa category, as long as you meet the eligibility requirements of the lottery. Consequently, even if you are eligible for another type of visa, you may still want to participate in the lottery.
Step 3. Find out the suitability of your country
Each year, the State Department determines which countries are eligible based on the US immigration rates of the previous 5 years. Those who are not from an eligible country cannot participate in the lottery. The instructions provide a complete list of eligible and unsuitable countries by region. There are 3 ways to determine your eligibility:
- Birth in an eligible country.
- A spouse born in an eligible country, as long as you are both named on the form, have visas and enter the US at the same time.
- The birth of at least one of your parents in an eligible country, provided that none of your parents were born in your country and none of them were a legal resident of that country at the time of your birth (for example, they were there temporarily on vacation, for work, study…).
Step 4. Verify that educational and professional requirements are met
To be eligible for the lottery, you must meet one of two educational and professional requirements. You have to:
- Have earned a high school diploma or its equivalent. It means you must have successfully completed 12 years of elementary and secondary education or
- Have worked for 2 of the last 5 years in a profession that requires at least 2 years of apprenticeship or experience. This is determined through O * Net, a database available on the US Department of Professional website,
Step 5. Check for any reasons for disqualification
The lottery is not a way to circumvent the standard eligibility requirements for permanent residence. If your application is selected during the lottery, the factors that would lead to the rejection of your application, such as criminal activity, will still be present.
Method 2 of 4: Complete and Submit Documentation
Step 1. Watch out for scams
Be careful not to fall victim to scams regarding the insertion of the request.
- Some candidates have received emails or letters requesting money linked to the application. The State Department does not provide information by email or post, and there is no cost to participate in the lottery.
- The Department advises candidates not to use consultants or agents to help them with forms. If a candidate entrusts the task to someone else, they should be present during the compilation and have the confirmation note delivered with the unique confirmation number.
Step 2. Don't confuse the dates
The years mentioned on the lottery can be confusing, so learn what they refer to. For example, the period of application of 2013 went from the 1st of October 2013 to the 2nd of November 2013. The period of 2013 marked the beginning of the Special Program 2015 (DV-2015). It is so called because the visas will be delivered during the 2015 fiscal year, which runs from 1 October 2014 to 30 September 2015.
Step 3. Collect everything you need
Make sure you have all the information you will need to fill out the forms, and a digital photograph for each person included in the request (you, your spouse, your children), before starting to fill in. Once you open the forms, you will only have 60 minutes to complete and submit them. You cannot save or download the form to load it later. If you don't complete the application within an hour, you have to do it all over again. You will need to have the following information ready:
- Your name as written on your passport
- Your date of birth
- Your gender
- Your city of birth
- Your country of birth (i.e. the current name of the country where the city where you were born is located)
- The country eligible for your membership
- Your residential address
- The country you currently live in
- Your phone number (optional)
- Your email address - make sure it is active and that it is the one you usually use
- The highest level of education you have obtained, at the time of filling out the forms
- Your current marital status - include your spouse's name, date of birth, gender, city / country of birth, and country of birth. Visa applications based on same-sex marriages are now treated in the same way as heterosexual ones, as long as the marriage took place in a jurisdiction where such marriages are legal.
- Information about your children - names, dates of birth, gender, city / country of birth and country of birth of any unmarried child under 21, regardless of whether they live with you or their intention to accompany or follow you in case transfer to the USA. Your children include all living biological children, those adopted by you, and unmarried / unmarried stepchildren under 21 at the time of your online application, even if you are no longer married to the children's parent, and even if the child is not living currently with you and / or will not move in with you.
Step 4. Collect photos
You must provide a recent photo of yourself, your spouse and all children listed on the forms. You must not include a photo of your spouse or children who are already US citizens or with a regular residence permit, but you will not be penalized for providing it. You must attach a photo for each individual - group photos are not allowed. In case the photos were not taken digitally, you can scan the photo to your computer or have someone else do it and have it sent to you.
Step 5. Validate the photos
Go to the lottery website, https://www.dvlottery.state.gov, and click on the “Validate Photos” link to make sure the photos match the program requirements.
Step 6. Fill out the forms
The forms must be submitted online on the lottery site. They cannot be sent by post. Go to https://www.dvlottery.state.gov and follow the instructions. You have to fill in everything accurately. Include validated photos. There is an online help link on the lottery website with information on filling out the forms.
Step 7. Make sure you receive a confirmation number
Once the application is complete, click on "Submit", but do not close the page until you receive a message confirming the sending. This message will contain a confirmation number. Print the page, if possible, do not lose the confirmation number because you will need it a few months later to check the results of the lottery.
Method 3 of 4: Notification of Lottery Outcomes
Step 1. You will not be sent a selection notification
The State Department will not contact you to notify you of the outcome. Furthermore, the Department will not ask you for money by post or electronically. The Department may, however, write you an email to suggest that you check your status for new information on your application.
Step 2. Be patient
The results will not be available for a few months after the deadline. Check the lottery website to find out the start date for the publication of the results. For example, for the period 2013 (DV-2015), the results will be available starting May 1st 2014.
Step 3. Check the results
You can access it by clicking on the appropriate link on the lottery website, www.dvlottery.state.gov/ESC/. You will need your confirmation number, your last name and your year of birth to log in. Please note that if you have not been selected, you should check back in the following weeks as there may be new extractions.
Method 4 of 4: Obtain a Visa
Step 1. Find out about deadlines
If you are selected through the lottery, you only have until the fiscal year in question to apply for, and obtain, your visa. For example, if you applied in 2013 (DV-2015), you should know the outcome from May 1st 2014, and you should apply and obtain the visa by fiscal year 2015, i.e. October 1st 2014 to September 31st 2015.
Step 2. Follow the instructions on the site
When you check your status, if you have been selected you will receive online instructions on what to do next. The next steps include an interview at the US Embassy or Consulate.
Step 3.
Step 4. Consider correcting your state if you are already in the US
If you are already in the US, you may be able to apply to the Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) to correct your permanent resident status. To do this, you must be eligible to correct your status, and you must make sure that the USCIS can complete the task in your case, including entering the data of your spouse and your children within the deadlines of the program.
Advice
- Do not wait for the last moment to participate. In case you wait and then run into technical problems or slowness of the system due to the high number of participants, you may not be able to make it in time.
- In 2013, all countries were eligible except: Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (Mainland), Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, South Korea, United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and dependent territories, Vietnam. The 2012 list was identical, but Nigeria was eligible.
- There are no fees associated with the lottery. However, if you are selected, there are fees related to obtaining a visa. You will be required to pay them in person at the US Embassy or Consulate, not by post or electronically.
- If you can't find your confirmation number when checking your status on the site, you can click “Lost Confirmation Number” on your profile information page. You will need to enter the year of the program (the one in which you enrolled) and the candidate's data (name, date of birth and email address entered in the forms).
- You can apply for the lottery wherever you are - in the US or other countries.
- You can only apply once a year. However, you and your spouse can fill out two separate forms. It means that you may be selected either via your form or as an attachment to his form.
