Green card Lottery
The term “Green Card Lottery” is commonly used for Diversity Immigrant Visa (DV) Lottery Program . Every year, there are about 50,000 visas given to “diversity immigrants” to enter the United States permanently and become a legal permanent resident. The DV Lottery Program is one of the fastest ways to get a U.S. Green Card for someone who does not have any family in the U.S. or has ever even visited the U.S.
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) determines the regional DV limits for each year according to a formula specified in Section 203(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The number of visas the Department of State eventually will issue to natives of each country will depend on the regional limits established, how many entrants come from each country, and how many of the selected entrants are found eligible for the visa. No more than seven percent of the total visas available can go to natives of any one country.
As long as a person meets the eligibility criteria, they may apply for the program. You can submit an application if you are living abroad or if you are currently in the United States on a temporary non-immigrant visa. Even if you already have an immigrant visa petition pending for you, but the priority date has not become current, you can still apply for DV Program.
Who can apply?
The diversity immigrants are people from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States. Natives of the following countries are excluded from entering the Diversity Visa Lottery program this year:
• Bangladesh
• Brazil
• Canada
• China (mainland only)
• Colombia
• Dominican Republic
• Ecuador
• El Salvador
• Haiti
• India
• Jamaica
• Mexico
• Nigeria
• Pakistan
• Peru
• Philippines
• South Korea
• United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland)
• Vietnam
Note that United Kingdom includes the following dependent areas: Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn, St. Helena, and Turks and Caicos Islands.
Persons born in the Gaza Strip are chargeable to Egypt for the Diversity Visa Lottery this year.
Persons born in Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, and Taiwan are also eligible to enter the DV-2020 Lottery.
Natives from all other countries may register for this year’s Diversity Visa Lottery.
What are the eligibility requirements?
Applicants who are selected in the lottery must meet simple yet strict eligibility requirements. These requirements are:
1. Individuals born in countries whose natives qualify are eligible to enter. If you were not born in a native eligible country, then there are still two other ways you may qualify:
a. If your Spouse was born in a country whose natives are eligible, you may be able to claim your Spouse’s country of birth on your application.
b. If you were born in a country whose natives are ineligible, but in which neither of your parents were born or legally resided at the time of your birth, you may be able to claim one of your Parent’s country of birth on your application.
2. Each applicant must meet education/work experience requirement of the Diversity Visa Program by having either:
a. At a high school education or its equivalent, OR
b. Two years of work experience in the past five years in an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience to perform.
What are the fees?
There is no cost to register for the program. However, if your application does get selected, then you will be responsible for immigrant visa application and DV fees at the time of your visa interview.
When can you apply?
The application period for 2020 Diversity Visa Lottery Program will run from October 3, 2018, until November 6, 2018. The application must be submitted electronically. Only one application is allowed per person. If an individual submits more than one application in a single year, s/he may be disqualified.
If you are interested in applying for a Diversity Visa Lottery or if you wish to discuss it in further details, please feel free to email us at info@davelawoffice.com to schedule a consultation.
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