What is green card lottery? What is a diversity visa lottery? Green card or diversity visa lottery is one of the pathways, one of the methods of someone to become green card holder of the United States. Understand the Diversity Visa Program before you apply for the DV Lottery this year.
Green Card
Green card is the official nickname of permanent residence status of the United States of America. So when someone says I’m a green card holder, it means the person is a permanent resident of the United States of America.
Diversity Visa Lottery
The diversity visa lottery is a random selection of people who are supposed to apply, and if you win in that particular lottery, you become a permanent resident of the United States of America.
In the mid or early 1990s, the United States introduced something called diversity visa lottery. One of the objectives while diversity visa lottery program was established in the United States of America is to increase the diversity of the immigrants coming to live in the United States. The greatness of the United States is its diversity.
Diversity Visa Lottery Eligibility Countries
The countries which has low number of representation, the low number of immigrants and by immigrants in this context, according to the immigration law in the United States, immigrants are people who are permanent residents of the United States of America.
Countries with less than 50,000 immigrants, 50,000 people with green card and the green card obtained through family or through work, if in the last five years that country has more than 50,000, the country is not supposed to participate in the diversity visa lottery.
The countries with the low number of representations, low number of immigrants, low number of people with a green card based on family or work, those countries are eligible to apply for the diversity visa lottery.
The purpose is to bring more diversity from the countries with the low number of immigrants in the United States of America.
Diversity Visa Application Dates
Diversity visa lottery application is done on an annual basis (i.e each year). From first week of October to November is the application time and the results come out on the month of May, while the interviews start on October to start that particular fiscal year.
Diversity Visa FAQs
How long does it take to get a Diversity Visa?
The winners of the green card lottery are generally notified 7 months after applying. It can take up to 14 months to for the government to schedule your interview and issue your visa, depending on how soon you apply for your visa.
Can I enter the Diversity Visa lottery if I’m in the United States?
Yes, you may enter the green card lottery from anywhere, including from within the U.S.
Can my spouse and I each submit separate entries?
Yes, each spouse may submit their own Diversity Visa entry. If one of the spouses is selected, then the other spouse will qualify for a green card as your dependent.
What if I’ve lost my confirmation number?
You need your confirmation number to access the Entrant Status Check — the online portal where you see whether or not you’ve been selected. If you lose your confirmation number, you can retrieve it using the email address you used to register for the lottery.
DISCLAIMER: This post and content is designed for general information and educational purposes only, and is NOT legal advice. The information presented in this post should not be construed to be formal legal advice. If you need legal advice, you may contact a licensed attorney.