FAQs
What exactly is a Green Card?
The Green Card is an immigrant card that allows you to live and work in the United States. It enables you to legally reside, work, and study in the United States, as well as freely enter and exit the nation. Green card holders also have access to health, education, and other benefits and the ability to sponsor relatives for Green Cards. A permanent resident has been granted permission to live and work permanently in the United States. A permanent resident card, also known as a “green card,” is issued to verify that status.
What exactly is the Green Card Lottery?
The US Department of State administers the Green Card Lottery program, officially known as the Diversity Immigrant Visa Lottery Program. Permanent residence visas (Green Cards) are available to anyone who meet specific eligibility requirements. The US State Department conducts a random drawing to determine the lottery winners.
Who is eligible to enter the Green Card Lottery?
The candidate must be a native of a nation whose citizens qualify for the program and must meet one of the program's education or training requirements. Go to the green card lottery requirements page to see whether you are eligible.
What about my partner and kids?
If you win and get a Green Card, you can apply for your spouse and unmarried children under the age of 21 to get Green Cards as well.
Is there a minimum age requirement to apply?
Although there is no minimum age to apply for the program, the requirement that each principal candidate has a high school diploma or job experience at the time of application effectively disqualifies most people under the age of 18.
What are the educational or work experience requirements?
You must have a high school diploma or equivalent or two years of work experience in an activity requiring at least two years of training or experience within the last five years. Successful completion of a twelve-year course of elementary and secondary education in the United States or successful completion of a formal system of elementary and secondary education comparable to high school education in the United States in another country is defined as a “high school education or equivalent” in the United States. A list produced by the Department of Labor identifies occupations that require at least two years of experience. These alternatives will be walked through on the Do I Qualify page.
Why are citizens of some countries ineligible for the green card lottery?
The Green Card Lottery is designed to give people from countries other than those that send substantial numbers of immigrants to the United States an opportunity to immigrate to the United States. According to the law, green cards will not be issued to citizens of “high-admission” nations. According to the legislation, this is defined as nations from which 55,000 people in the Family-Sponsored and Employment-Based visa categories arrived in the US in the previous five years. Every year, US Citizenship and Immigration Services adds the preceding five years' family and employment immigrant admission data to determine which nations' citizens will be disqualified for the annual green card lottery. Because each yearly green card lottery entrance period requires an individual assessment, the list of countries whose citizens are not eligible may change from year to year.
What can I do if I was born in a non-qualifying country?
If you were born in a country not eligible for this year's green card lottery, you might claim charge ability to the country where your derivative spouse was born. Still, you will not be granted a green card unless your spouse is also eligible for and gave one, and both of you must enter the United States with your green cards at the same time. A minor dependent kid can be “charged” to a parent's country of birth similarly.
Finally, suppose you were born in a nation that was not eligible to participate in this year's green card lottery. In that case, you can be “charged” to either of your parent's countries of birth, as long as neither parent was a resident of the ineligible country at the time of your delivery. People who are only visiting the country, studying in the country temporarily, or stationed temporarily in the country for business or professional reasons on behalf of a company or government from a country other than the applicant's birth country are not considered residents of that country or legally naturalized. You must declare alternate chargeability on the green card lottery online Entry Form in the member's area if you claim alternate chargeability. Please note that listing an inaccurate country of eligibility or chargeability (i.e., one for which you cannot make a legal claim) may result in your registration being disqualified.
In most cases, your nation of eligibility is the same as your country of birth. Your eligibility nation has nothing to do with where you live. “Native” usually refers to someone born in a specific country, regardless of their present location or nationality. For immigration reasons, “native” can also refer to someone who, under Section 202(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, is eligible to be “charged” to a nation other than the one in which they were born.
How many candidates will be chosen?
There are 55,000 visas available, but more people will be chosen. Because it is possible that some of the first 50,000 people chosen may not pursue their cases to visa issuance, selecting a higher number of entries ensures that all numbers are used. Still, it also risks leaving some people out. As a result, you must start processing your visa right away if you win. The Kentucky Consular Center computer's random pick does not guarantee that you will be granted access.
How many submissions am I allowed to submit?
The legislation allows only one entry by or for each person during each registration period. Individuals that enter more than one contest will be disqualified. Individuals who submit repeated submissions during the registration period will be identified using sophisticated technology and other means by the Department of State. People who submit multiple entries will be dismissed, and the Department of State will keep an electronic record of their submissions. Each year, individuals can apply for the program during the usual registration period.
On the other hand, married couples can individually apply, doubling their chances of winning. You will automatically suggest this on the Green Card DV-Lottery Register page.
Is there anything I can do to improve my chances of winning?
Yes and no; all qualified entries are chosen at random by computer and have an equal chance of winning; but, if you and your spouse are married, you can both apply and increase your odds of winning. You may protect yourself by ensuring that your application is not rejected. Millions of applications are denied every year due to failure to adhere to the submission guidelines. The online Registration page will help you avoid this by creating the application for you.
What is the total number of visas distributed to each country?
Visas are distributed among six geographic zones. More tickets go to regions with lower immigration rates and no keys to nations that have sent more than 55,000 immigrants to the United States in the last five years. No country can obtain more than 7% of the available Diversity Visas in any given year.
