How to Apply for US Green Card Lottery and Win

Learn how to apply for US green card lottery and win. The US Green Card Lottery is officially known as the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program. It happens once a year for a period of about thirty days.

This is usually at the beginning of October. It comes to an end in early November every year.

This guide will help you to apply for US Green Card Lottery successfully and increase your chances of winning.

What is the US Green Card Lottery?

Well, as the name suggests, it is just that, a lottery. It is a program that allows people worldwide who wish to go live and work in the United States to get a permanent green card. This is as opposed to Visitor Visa which only allows you to visit the USA and go back to your home country.

Here is a definition from the horse’s mouth. “The Department of State annually administers the statutorily-mandated Diversity Immigrant Visa Program.

Section 203(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) provides for a class of immigrants known as “diversity immigrants” from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States.”

DV Lottery Eligibility Requirements

Requirement 1: Individuals born in countries whose natives qualify may be eligible to enter. If you were not born in an eligible country, there are two other ways you might be able to qualify.

• Individuals born in countries whose natives qualify may be eligible to enter. If you were not born in an eligible country, there are two other ways you might be able to qualify.

• Was your spouse born in a country whose natives are eligible? If yes, you can claim your spouse’s country of birth – provided that both you and your spouse are named on the selected entry, are found eligible and issued diversity visas, and enter the United States simultaneously.

Requirement 2: Each DV applicant must meet the education/work experience requirement of the DV program by having either:

• At least a high school education or its equivalent, defined as successful completion of a 12 – year course of formal elementary and secondary education; OR
• Two years of work experience within the past five years in an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience to perform.

Requirements Before Applying for DV Lottery

There are some requirements before you apply for US Green Card Lottery. But before you start thinking of money, it is a free service. However, some agents charge people to apply for US Green Card.

1. Name – last/family name, first name, middle name – exactly as it appears on your passport. If you have only one name, it must be entered in the last/family name field.

2. Gender – male or female.

3. Date of birth, month, year.

4. City where you were born.

5. The country where you were born – Use the name of the country currently used for the place where you were born.

6. Country of eligibility for the DV program – Your country of eligibility will normally be the same as your country of birth.

Country of Eligibility

Your country of eligibility is not related to where you live or your nationality if it is different from your country of birth.

7. Starting DV Lottery 2021, you need your passport to apply. You will indicate your passport number, country of issuance, and expiration date for the principal entrant’s valid, unexpired international travel passport. This requirement applies to the principal entrant only, not to the dependents.

8. Entrant photograph(s) – Recent 2×2 inch photographs (taken within the last six months) of yourself, your spouse, and all your children.

The photographs should not be manipulated and must meet the required standard. Do not use a photo that was submitted previously.

How to Apply for US Green Card Lottery

1. Access the DV Lottery Website.
2. Click on the begin entry field.
3. Fill in all the details keenly. Remember that if you indicate that you have a spouse and kids, you have to enter their information.
4. Attach the photo once you reach the photo section.
5. Before submitting, review your application.
6. After submission, print the confirmation form or save it in a place you will access it later. Remember you will use the confirmation number to check if you have won the lottery.

When You Apply for US Green Card Lottery

1. If you are married, submitting a separate application for you and your spouse doubles the chances of winning.
2. Do not make multiple entries for an individual.
3. Unmarried children under 21 may be included in each of their parents’ application forms.
4. All children over 21 years of age must file separate applications.
5. Around 50,000 applicants are selected yearly.

How Will You Know If You Won the Green Card Lottery?

1. Successful applicants will be selected at random by computer from among all qualified entries.
2. You must retain your confirmation number in order to check your entry status via Entrant Status Check. But do not worry, you can easily retrieve the forgotten DV Lottery confirmation number. Checking if you have won starts in May of the following year and continues until September of the next year.