All about the Green Card Lottery

If you want to move to the USA, you can do that via the DV Lottery program. 55 thousand people from all over the world each year get a legal permission to live and work in America by winning the Lottery.

How do you take part in this program? Here is what you need to know about it.

When the Green Card Lottery is held?

The entry period usually takes place in autumn. For instance, DV Lottery 2019 was held from October 3 to November 22 of 2017.

Then in spring applicants are selected. For example, for DV Lottery 2019 it was on the 15 of May 2018.

If you are selected, you need to prepare for the interview.

Who can take part in DV Lottery?

First, your country should not have a high immigration rate to the US, because the purpose of the lottery is to achieve “diversity” of people and their backgrounds. Thus, some countries do not qualify for some years for the diversity visa program. If you were born in

Bangladesh

Brazil

Canada

China (mainland only)

Colombia

Dominican Republic

El Salvador

Haiti

India

Jamaica

Mexico

Nigeria

Pakistan

Peru

Philippines

South Korea

UK (except Northern Ireland)

Vietnam

you cannot participate in DV lottery in 2018 for DV-2020.

What can you do if your country is excluded? If the country where your parents or spouse were born is included, claim this country as country of your eligibility.

Secondly, your education or work experience should meet requirements.

Education: it should be US High School education or a foreign equivalent of it.

Work experience during last 5 years: at least 2 years in a job that requires 2 years of training or more. You can check if your job satisfies to qualifying work experience at https://www.onetonline.org/ .

How can you take part in the DV Lottery?

You can do it online only. You need to fill in a form at the dvlottery.state.gov website. You can submit only once per year.

You need to include all your unmarried or under 21 years old children to your application form.

Photo for Diversity Visa Lottery

For your application form you need to submit a photo. The full list of requirements can be found here at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/photos.html .

You can make your photo online, with photo editors or mobile applications, I would highly recommend Visafoto: https://visafoto.com/diversity-visa-lottery-photo

What you need to do after submitting the application form

1) You will need to enter again your application DV number on the Sign and Submit page of DS-260, but without zeros in the middle (for example, if the number is 2018AF0000012345, use 2018AF12345). If you enter the zeros, the number will not validate.

2) Print the confirmation page. If you are selected, you will need this printed page for the interview.

If you are selected, what should you do?

1) Find out location and date of your interview at a US embassy at the Entrant Status Check on the dvlottery.state.gov website.

2) Prepare all necessary documents (original and one photocopy of each document). You need to translate your documents into English:

1. Bring school diplomas and documents that proof your work skills
2. Your birth certificate
3. Court and prison records
4. Deportation documents. (If you were deported from any country, you need to fill in Form I-212)
5. Marriage or divorce certificate
6. Military records
7. Police records
8. Custody documentation

3) Carefully read all instructions of the U.S. Embassy or Consulate where your interview will be held. They can differ from instructions for the DV Lottery.

4) Undergo medical examination and make all needed vaccinations. Do not open the envelope and bring it to your interview.

5) Get your 2x2 inch printed photos, DS-260 confirmation page and passport.

6) Pay a fee before the interview. For DV-2019 the amount was $330 per person. It is nonrefundable, you cannot get it back even if your visa failed.