The 1990 Immigration act gave rise to the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, also known as the Green Card Lottery (DV-Lottery)
President George H.W. Bush and congressional leaders recognized the value of diversity and sought its development through a diversity program randomly selecting people from historically low immigration countries.
Every year, the Department of States sets aside Immigrant Visas for 50,000 individuals who are randomly selected through a lottery process. The visas are distributed to six different continents with more visas grande to those countries sending fewer immigrants to the United States through Employment- & Family-based processing during the previous five years.
Registration process is now available at the official paid immigration service website US GREEN CARD OFFICE website.
This year’s lottery is open to everyone except people from the following countries: South Korea, Philippines, Peru, Pakistan, Nigeria, Mexico, Jamaica, India, Haiti, El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Columbia, China (mainland-born), Canada, Brazil, Bangladesh, United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and all its dependent territories and Vietnam. People from Taiwan, Macau SAR and Hong Kong are eligible)
People from anywhere outside the countries listed above can apply this year’s Diversity Lottery. On the other hand, if your country of birth doesn’t make you eligible, you are still eligible if your spouse is born in a qualifying country; your spouse just has to be the primary applicant in the Green Card Application when you apply. Also, you may be eligible if your parents were not legal residents of the ineligible country where you were born.
Important: applicants must have completed high school or its equivalent, i.e., a 12-year basic education and secondary education in the United States or its equivalent in any other country. Or two years of work experience within the past five years in an occupation requiring at least two years of work experience.
Any applicant that doesn’t meet these requirements, as well as those who send in more than one application, is automatically disqualified. So make sure ONLY to submit one application.
Submitting the application is simply as you only need to submit; name, date of birth, city and country of birth, gender, Native country of claimed eligibility for the DV-Lottery, photograph (electronically attached to the application), mailing address, country of residence, telephone number, email address, highest level of education attained, marital status.
If married, a couple of basic answers about your spouse and children (if any) will be necessary along with a digital photograph of spouse and children to be attached as well. Failure to completely list all family members and provide information about them may lead to disqualification. The information given on the application must be complete and accurate.
When your application has been submitted, and you have received your confirmation number provided by the US Government you will be able to check the Green Card winners status at DV Lottery Website. This is the only way you can get updates because the Department of state will not send out notifications.
For more information about the DV Lottery Immigrant Visa Program,
you may visit www.usgreencardoffice.com a professional legal immigration
office in New York.
The Diversity Visa Program is another way the US shows its commitment to diversity as well as show appreciation for the contributions of people from various backgrounds and countries in the United States.
Also, read this fascinating article about
how easy it can be to Win a Green Card
