U.S. Diversity Visa Lottery
The Diversity Immigrant Visa (DV) Program, commonly referred to as the Green Card Lottery, is a US immigration program that was established by the United States Congress through the Immigration Act of 1990.
A key goal of the Diversity Visa Lottery Program is to make the United States a more diverse (multicultural) country.
Before the Diversity Visa Lottery Program was established, previous US immigration programs tended to favor immigrants from countries in Europe.
Since the start of the Diversity Visa Lottery Program almost 30 years ago, substantially more people have been approved for immigration to the United States from countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and The Caribbean.
Today, there are an estimated 45 million immigrants living in America, making the United States the world’s top destination for immigrants seeking better opportunities in life.
The DV-Lottery Program is administered by the US State Department which issues a Diversity Immigration Visa to as many as 55,000 DV-Lottery winners and their family members each year who successfully pass the Consular Interview procedure and are approved for immigration to the United States as Lawful Permanent Residents.
Approximately 10 million people from around the globe register each year to participate in the annual DV-Lottery and around 100,000 winners are randomly selected by computer for the opportunity to apply for one of the 55,000 Diversity Visas authorized to be issued by the US State Department every year.
A lottery system is used as a fair, unbiased method for randomly selecting candidates and their family members from eligible countries located in six regions of the world so that all of the DV-Lottery participants will have an equal chance to be chosen.
The annual registration period for the DV-Lottery normally occurs around October and then the winners who were selected are usually notified starting in May of the following year.
To receive guidance in properly preparing your DV-Lottery application prior to submission
DV-Lottery Requirements
There are two major requirements to participate in the Diversity Visa Lottery.
Since a primary objective of the Diversity Visa Lottery Program is to further diversify the US population, a DV-Lottery applicant must have been BORN in a country that is eligible for participation during any particular DV-Year.
A list of eligible and non-eligible countries is released by the US State Department each year, just before the annual registration period which normally occurs around October.
The second major requirement to take part in the DV-Lottery is to have a high school education consisting of successful completion of 12 years of primary and secondary formal education; OR to have two years of paid work experience during the previous five years in a qualifying occupation that requires a minimum of two years of post-secondary training or experience to perform.
Global USA can check your eligibility to participate in the Diversity Visa Lottery Program.
Selection of Winners
The chances of being randomly selected as a winner of the Diversity Visa (Green Card) Lottery are relatively high for eligible participants who submit their applications and photos according to the regulations.
When an applicant successfully registers for the Diversity Visa Lottery, the US State Department will issue a Confirmation Number, which the applicant MUST save, because it will be required later to check the status of their application after the DV-Lottery takes place and the winners are notified.
Notification of Green Card Lottery winners (“selectees”) normally starts sometime between May and July (usually in May).
For the DV-2023 Green Card Lottery which will be held in early 2022, the results will be made available starting in early May 2022.
As a service to its clients, Global USA promptly informs its client when they are selected as winners of the DV-Lottery and can also provide them with their Confirmation Number for verification purposes.
US Immigration
Winners of the Green Card Lottery who successfully complete each stage of the Consular Interview process and are approved for US immigration will have a Diversity Visa placed inside of their passport for entry into the United States as a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR).
After receiving the Diversity Visa from the US State Department, the new immigrant will also need to pay a fee online to the US Citizenship & Immigration Service (USCIS) so that the Permanent Resident Green Card can be mailed to them.
A Green Card is an official form of identification which a Lawful Permanent Resident of the United States carries while living in America and it is used as proof of the legal right to live and work in the USA.
Green Card Advantages
There are many advantages of receiving a US Permanent Resident Green Card including:
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the right to live in the USA for an unlimited length of time
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permission to legally work in the USA without any time limit
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having access to quality education programs in the United States
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being able to live in the US state of your choice and travel between states
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opening a bank account in the United States
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having the option to start your own business in the USA
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getting a driver’s license in the state where you live in the US
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being able to sponsor eligible family members for a US visa
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traveling to and from the United States according to the regulations
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applying for US citizenship after living in the USA 5 years
To learn more about the Green Card Lottery and our professional services,
DISCLAIMER: Global USA is not affiliated with the US Government or any governmental agency, and is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. The information on this webpage is not and should not be considered legal advice. Global USA is a private entity that offers review and submission services and cannot and does not issue any type of visa to the United States. Only the United States Government has the authority to approve someone for US immigration or to issue a visa to the USA.