Many foreigners dream about obtaining one of 50,000 permanent residency cards or green cards, that the US Department of State, through the USCIS, draws annually. The program, also known as the “Diversity Visa Program” or simply DV, is literally a lottery. In the green card lottery, each participant receives a number and the winners are selected at random.
The aim of the lottery is to increase the cultural diversity of the United States by giving non-US citizens the chance to apply for a permanent residency card and immigrate to the US legally.
To get a green card one must comply with a series of requirements and apply to the lottery on the Department of State website.
The application process is completely free and you can apply from the start of October until the start of November every year. In May of the following year the results are published on the Department of State website.
How to participate in the green card lottery
Not everybody can participate in the US green card lottery. To get a green card you must comply with a series of requirements:
- Eligibility: Being a native citizen from a country that is permitted to participate.
Each year, the Department of State publishes a list of countries whose citizens can participate. If a country has sent more than 50,000 immigrants to the USA in the last 5 years they cannot participate. Consult the list of eligible countries to find out if you can participate.
- Candidate’s level of studies
Having graduated from a course in higher education or having two years of certified work experience is obligatory to enter into the green card lottery.
If you fulfill these two requirements, you should go to the “Green Card Lottery” web page and fill in the online application form with the necessary information.
Remember that the US immigration authorities are very strict, so you should check that all the data and information that you have presented is correct to avoid being removed from the lottery process. Take note of the following advice to participate in the green card lottery and learn how to correctly fill out your application.