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The United States has a program to give out 50,000 permanent resident visas ("green cards") each year to "natives" of certain countries. All countries of the world qualify except the following: Canada, China (both mainland and Taiwan, except Hong Kong S.A.R.), Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Philippines, Poland, South Korea, United Kingdom (and its dependent territories, except Northern Ireland), and Vietnam. If you win, you may get a permanent resident visa "green card", which allows you to live and work permanently in the U.S.A.
You qualify to enter the visa lottery if:
- You were born in one of the lottery countries; or
- Your husband or wife was born in a lottery country; or
- In some circumstances, your mother or father was born in a lottery country.
How does the Diversity Green Card lottery work?
To obtain a green card, an application must be completed and mailed to a specific post office box listed by the State Department every year. Only one application per applicant will be allowed. Applications must be received within a one-month period that differs slightly from year to year but is usually during October and November. (This site will publish the exact date each year as soon as it becomes available.) The State Department will then select "winners" by chance. (Entries that do not contain all required information will be rejected.) Winners will then submit immigrant visa applications and have a brief interview at a U.S. embassy or consulate. Winners who live in the U.S. may be able to receive their green cards without leaving the U.S.
Residence and Other Requirements
You are eligible wherever you are living. You must have a high school diploma (or equivalent) or have worked at least two years in an occupation that requires two or more years of work experience and/or training. You do not have to speak English. You do not need U.S. relatives. You can enter the diversity green card lottery even if you have other visa petitions pending, such as a relative visa petition or an employer's visa petition.
How about my family?
If you receive a green card through the diversity visa lottery, your spouse and unmarried children under 21 will also receive green cards at the same time as you. The spouse or child does not have to be born in one of the qualifying countries. All children over 21 years of age must file separate applications.
How do I enter?
The State Department will publicize all the information you need to enter the diversity green card lottery as well as the registration period. The actual application consists of a plain sheet of paper upon which you must include the following information: name(s), date(s) and place(s) of birth for you and your family members, your current mailing address, and the location of the nearest U.S. consular post. You must also sign the sheet of paper and include a recent photograph of yourself. The photograph must be 1 and 1/2 inches square. You must print your name on the back in the Roman alphabet before taping the photograph to the sheet of paper. The envelope must be within certain size ranges (most business-sized envelopes meet the criteria). You must also write the name of your home country above your return address on the front of the envelope. The applications may only be submitted by regular or air mail. No priority mail, certified or registered letters, or special handling of any kind will be allowed.
You will not be notified by the State Department unless you are one of the lucky ones to be chosen for a given year.
The diversity visa lottery will occur every year. If you don't win one year, you can apply again the following year. The requirements and list of eligible countries may change slightly, so it is important to learn about the new regulations for each year.
Do I need to pay someone to assist with the application?
No. The application procedures are very simple. Moreover, this is a true lottery. Beware of people who claim to have "inside information" or who "guarantee success" in this random selection process. There is no reason to pay hundreds of dollars to have someone prepare an application that is just one sheet of paper and that can be filed for only the cost of a stamp. For more information directly from the State Department you can
call 1-202-331-7199.
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