Learn About the Green Card Lottery

Learn About the Green Card Lottery
The Green Card Lottery, also known as the Diversity Visa Lottery, is a program that gives foreign nationals the opportunity to apply for permanent residence in the United States. The program is randomly administered by the Department of State, and only a select number of applicants are chosen each year. This article will provide a detailed overview of the Green Card Lottery, including its history, eligibility requirements, the application process, and the chances of winning the lottery.

History of the Green Card Lottery

The Green Card Lottery was established in 1990 under the Immigration and Nationality Act. The program was created to promote diversity in the United States by giving people from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States a chance to apply for permanent residency. The program was originally designed to grant 50,000 visas annually, but that number has changed over the years due to various legislative and administrative factors.

In 2017, the Trump Administration proposed eliminating the Green Card Lottery as part of its efforts to overhaul immigration policies. However, the lottery still exists today, and the Biden Administration has shown support for the program.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for the Green Card Lottery, applicants must meet certain criteria. First, they must be from a country that is eligible to participate in the program. The Department of State provides a list of eligible countries on its website each year. If an applicant is from a country that is not eligible to participate, they cannot apply for the Green Card Lottery.

Additionally, applicants must have a high school education or its equivalent, or have two years of work experience within the last five years in an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience.

Finally, applicants must meet the Department of State's requirements for admissibility to the United States. This includes passing a background check and medical examination.

Application Process

The Green Card Lottery is administered online through the Department of State's website. The application period typically opens in October and runs for about a month, although the specific dates can vary from year to year. Applicants must fill out an online form, which includes personal information such as their name, date of birth, and country of birth, as well as information about their education and work experience.

In addition to the application itself, applicants must also submit a digital photograph of themselves and pay a small fee. The application fee is typically $330, although it can vary from year to year. Applicants are only allowed to submit one application per year, and any duplicates will be disqualified.

After the application period closes, the Department of State uses a computer program to randomly select winners from among the eligible applicants. The winners are notified by email and provided with further instructions on how to proceed with their application for permanent residence.

Chances of Winning the Lottery

The chances of winning the Green Card Lottery are not high, as the program receives a large number of applications each year. In 2020, for example, over 14 million people applied for the lottery, but only around 55,000 were selected as winners. This means that the odds of winning the Green Card Lottery in 2020 were just under 0.4%.

However, it's worth noting that certain countries tend to have better odds of winning than others, due to the fact that the program is designed to promote diversity. In 2020, for example, citizens of Nepal and Egypt had the highest diversity visa success rates, at 5.8% and 1.8%, respectively. By contrast, citizens of Mexico had a success rate of just 0.4%, and citizens of the Philippines had a success rate of just 0.2%.

Conclusion

The Green Card Lottery can be a valuable opportunity for foreign nationals who are looking to permanently relocate to the United States. However, the program is highly competitive, and the odds of winning the lottery are low. Nonetheless, for those who meet the eligibility requirements and are willing to take a chance, the Green Card Lottery can be a path to a new life in America.

It's also worth noting that the information provided in this article is accurate as of the time of writing, but may be subject to change. Interested applicants should consult the Department of State's website for the most up-to-date information on the program.

What is the Green Card Lottery?

The Diversity Immigrant lottery, also known as the Green Card Lottery, is a government program offered by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Bureau, which awards 50,000 Visas to applicants who meet the requirements for entry.

The requirements for the Green Card Lottery are as follows:

a.    Applicants must be legal residents of the approved countries and nations. These nations are chosen based on the percentage of immigration to the United States; those countries with low immigration numbers are typically awarded entry into the Green Card Lottery. The following countries are listed in the Green Card Lottery: Brazil, Canada, China (mainland), Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, South Korea, Vietnam, England, and Wales.

b.    The applicant must submit a photograph meeting the requirements expressed by the USCIS.

c.    Applicants must be able to substantiate documentation illustrating at least 2 years of consistent, legal employment in their home country.

Green Card Lottery Application

The following must be provided with every Green Card Lottery application:

a.    Name, date of birth, and city or town and county of birth

b.    Gender, mailing address, and marital status

c.    A digital photograph meeting the requirements expressed on the application

d.    A single application per individual applicant; multiple submissions of applications will result in that individual’s expulsion for the lottery pool:

Photographs are required to convey no more than one individual

Photographs must have been taken within 6 months prior to the submission of the application

Photographs must measure 2 inches by 2 inches, with the face of the subject in the center of the photograph

Photographs are required from all individuals, regardless of age

Individuals are required to abstain from strange and unnatural facial expressions; the individual’s eyes are required to remain open for the photograph – squinting is not permitted

Results of the Green Card Lottery

Those who in essence win the lottery will be notified by the U.S. Department of State—the government agency responsible for displaying the winning numbers on an annual basis.

single application can be submitted with regard each individual applicant; individuals caught submitting multiple applications will be disqualified from the Green Card Lottery.

Distribution Process for the DV-Lottery

The DV-lottery distributes visas based on a regional basis; each region sending fewer immigrants to America in the previous 5 years will receive more diversity visa opportunities. Currently, Africa and Europe account for about 80% of the visas in the lottery. Additionally, no single country is permitted to receive more than 7% of the total number of visas.

More ‘winners’ are selected in the lottery than there are visas available. As a result, those who win the lottery are not guaranteed an immigrant visa to the United States.

To receive a DV-Visa, the non-resident must meet all eligibility requirements under United States’ law to qualify. The winner of the lottery must be interviewed before the 50,000 green cards may be distributed.

Requirements include a high school diploma or its equivalent (or two years of work experience in a specialized occupation.)

Legal Implications for the DV-Lottery

In December 2005, the House of Representatives added an amendment to abolish the DV-lottery. As a result of mounting fraud and the added susceptibility for terrorist entry associated with the lottery, policy makers wished to abolish the program. Although the Senate never approved the amendment, numerous bills have been offered to eliminate the DV-lottery.