A Complete Guide to Applying for the USA Green Card Lottery
The Green Card Lottery, officially called Diversity Visa Lottery Program is a lottery for people who come from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. Each year 50,000 immigrant visas are made available through this program. If permanent residence is granted, then the individual will be authorized to live and work permanently in the United States. You will also be allowed to bring your spouse and any unmarried children under the age of 21 to the United States.
How does one participate in the Green Card Lottery?
You must meet the requirements, fill out an online form, and email a digital photo to DVLottery.org, who will then submit your application to the U.S. Government.
What is the processing fee and how can I pay it?
The US Government does not charge an application fee. To assure that your Green Card Lottery application is prepared correctly and submitted on time, DVLottery.org charges a nominal fee to cover administrative and processing expenses incurred in conjunction with the careful preparation and submission of every lottery application. The fee will vary depending on whether it is a single application (unmarried person WITHOUT children), or family application(legally married couple with or without children, AND single parents).
How can a married couple increase their chances of being selected?
If you are married, you must submit a "family application". To increase your chances, you and your spouse can each file separate applications. On one application, the husband is the primary applicant, and on the other application the wife is the primary applicant. Submitting separate applications doubles your chance of winning the lottery. To file a dual application, both you and your spouse should meet the lottery requirements. You must then file separate applications and pay the processing fee individually.
By applying for the Diversity Visa Lottery Program, will this affect any other visa applications?
Normally not, since this is a separate application process, although if you are applying for a another type of visa at the American embassy/consulate in your country, you might be asked if you have also applied for the Green Card Lottery.
Do you need my supporting documents with my Application?
No, supporting documents (i.e., birth, marriage, education certificates, etc.) only need to be produced if you are selected in the Green Card Lottery. You will receive further instructions at that time. If I am selected in the Green Card Lottery, how long will it take before I can emigrate to the USA? On average, the process takes about 6 to 12 months.
I'm eligible to apply but I'm currently living in an ineligible country - can I still apply?
Yes, as long as you meet the eligibility requirements (country of birth and education), then you may apply from anywhere in the world.
For how long is a US Green Card valid?
It is valid indefinitely as long as you maintain your US residence. In other words there is no time restriction on how long you may stay in the USA.
If I get my US Green Card, may I also get US Citizenship?
You may apply for US Citizenship after 5 years of continuous residence in the USA. Application for citizenship is optional.
How Can I Find Out If I Won?
Only the winners will be notified by mail at the addresses listed on their applications. Winners will be sent instructions and information on fees. Being selected as a winner in the Diversity Visa Lottery does not automatically guarantee that you will be issued a visa, even if you are qualified. The number of entries selected is greater than the number of immigrant visas available because not everyone selected will be qualified for the visa or will choose to complete the processing. Once all 50,000 visas have been issued, the Diversity Visa Program for the year will end.
Do I qualify to enter the Green Card Lottery?
An applicant must be able to: I) claim nativity in an eligible country, AND II) must meet either the education or training requirement.
Is there a minimum age to apply?
There is no minimum age. However, the education or work experience requirement for each principal applicant at the time of visa issuance will effectively preclude most people under 18 from applying.
What is the correct photo size and specifications?
Each applicant, his/her spouse, and each child will therefore need a computer file containing his/her digital photo (image). The image file can be produced either by taking a new digital photograph or by scanning a photographic print with a digital scanner.
- The image must be in the Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) format.
- The image must be either in color or grayscale; monochrome images (2-bit color depth) will not be accepted.
- If a new digital photograph is taken, it must have a resolution of 600 pixels wide by 600 pixels high, and a color depth of either 24-bit color, 8-bit color, or 8-bit grayscale.
- If a photographic print is scanned, the print must be 2 inches by 2 inches (50mm x 50mm) square. It must be scanned at a resolution of 150 dots per inch (dpi) and with a color depth of either 24-bit color, 8-bit color, or 8-bit grayscale.
- The maximum image size accepted will be sixty-two thousand five hundred (62,500) bytes.
Yes, an applicant may be in the United States or in another country.
Ineligible Countries.
Each year, citizens of nations with large numbers of citizens immigrating to the United States are not eligible for the Green Card Lottery. For the DV-2010 Green Card Lottery, citizens of the following countries were not eligible:
- Brazil
- Canada
- China
- Colombia
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Guatemala
- Haiti
- India
- Jamaica
- Mexico
- Pakistan
- Philippines
- Peru
- Poland
- South Korea
- United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories
- Vietnam
Sources: I. Videos Gone Viral, II. The Car Junky, III. The Tech Fanatic
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