Are you dreaming of winning the green card lottery?
Let’s get this right off the bat; there is no strategy to win the America DV lottery. It’s a random scheme. But four out of ten “winners” didn’t fill in their applications appropriately, resulting in forfeited wins. The applications of those (un)lucky winners are discarded without further processing, and new happy winners take their place.
As a result, the actual chance of winning is approximately 2%. If you have a spouse, they can also participate, increasing your odds to 4%. To ensure you qualify for the green card lottery, below are five tips for submitting your DV Lottery application and general information on the green card lottery.
General Information on how the DV Lottery works
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issues green cards. As a green card holder, you can live and work permanently in the United States. While there are various ways to get a green card, such as through family, job, asylee, or refugee status, not everyone is eligible.
Even if you meet the criteria, waiting for durations for specific family or job status categories can last up to 20 years. The Diversity Immigrant Visa (DV) Program, also known as the green card lottery, could be for you if you do not qualify or wish to roll the dice while waiting.
However, you’d better figure out before registering whether you are eligible for the green card lottery because country and education or job experience requirements apply.
Country Requirements
Diversity visas are granted to citizens of countries in six geographic regions with historically low immigration rates: Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, and the Southern Americas (including South America, Central America, and the Caribbean nations). The US authorities update the list of countries each year and publish it in the Diversity Visa entry instructions.
If your spouse was born in an eligible country, both are named on the duplicate entry, and both intend to enter the United States simultaneously, you may still qualify for the DV program.
You may also qualify if you were born in an ineligible nation, your parents were born in, or were legal residents of that country at your birth, presuming one of your parents was born in an eligible country.
Education and Work Experience
To register for the green card lottery, you must meet specific academic and work experience requirements in addition to your country of birth. You must have a high school diploma or equivalent or two years of experience in a recognized occupation within the last five years.
The US authorities can use the O*NET online database of the United States Department of Labor to see if your job experience is sufficient.
General Tips
Follow instructions; don’t try to save time by taking shortcuts. Do not assume some entries aren’t required. If your command of English isn’t sufficient, get help. Please don’t use a photo your uncle took with his smartphone as a substitute.
And if you give wrong information, be that by accident or on purpose, the US authorities will label you as a liar, in which case you’ll never be able to get a US visa again.
Here are the five essential tips for submitting your DV Lottery application:
Pay Close Attention to the Finer Points
If there are any typos, data entry errors, or if you omit anything, you will not be entitled to participate in the Diversity Visa Lottery.
Submit a Valid Photo
You must include a recent image of yourself and your co-applicants (taken within the last six months). The photos you submit must have been taken with your face to the camera and against a plain background.
You are not allowed to cover your hair unless you do this for religious reasons. Failure to provide a photograph that complies with these guidelines may result in your application being rejected. Your best bet is to find a professional photographer and commission them to shoot your picture.
Don’t Submit More Than One DV Lottery Application Within the Same Registration Period
If you apply for the diversity lottery more than once within an open registration period, all applications will be declined. While you’re not allowed to submit two applications in your name, your spouse can submit their application and list you as a relative. Even though each spouse may only apply once, it’ll boost your chances of winning.
Entitled Kids Had Better Apply, Too
There’s no limit to the number of qualified family members that can apply. If you have any children who have completed the educational or work experience criteria (typically requiring them to be aged between 16 and 18), they should also enter the lottery. They won’t be able to bring you to the United States right away if they win, but they’ll pave the way for a more straightforward immigration process for you and other family members.
You and your 20-year-old son, for example, are both eligible for diversity visas, so you both apply. Imagine, rather than you, your son triumphs. He enters the United States and establishes himself as a legal permanent resident. Your son can become a citizen of the United States after five years of residency in the USA. He can then appeal for you, his immediate relative, to become a US resident because he’s a US citizen.
Both Spouses Should Apply if They’re Eligible
If all eligible spouses register for the lottery, you’ll considerably increase your family’s winning chances. A successful applicant may bring their spouse and unmarried children under 21.
Supposing you and your spouse are both New Zealand residents, work in skilled employment, and have completed secondary school, you double your chances of winning as a family. You and your spouse can each submit one application in your name. Both of you will get a confirmation number. If one of you wins, the other is automatically entered as a derivative spouse.
Remember that only people who meet the eligibility requirements (employment, country, education) can apply for the diversity visa.
Are you unsure whether you qualify? You can email us at [email protected], phone at +1 314 353 9553, or register by filling in the contact form.