About the USA Visa Lottery

The U.S.-run “green card lottery” is also known as the DV program for diversity immigrant visas. Each year, the US Department of State randomly selects applicants from nations that haven’t sent out many immigrants in the previous five years, creating about 55,000 open immigrant visas. The winners and their relatives will be able to apply for a DV, a green card, or a card granting them permanent residency in the United States.

Eligibility

There are general requirements such as clean criminal record, health status, and others. But first, there are two main conditions to be met:

Country of birth

This is required especially upon your application entry. The U.S. Department of State releases an updated list of eligible and excluded countries every September. The country you were born in is eligible if it has sent out fewer than 50,000 immigrants within the previous 5 years. Your citizenship or nationality does not matter.

If your country of birth is among the excluded ones in the list, you can still use your spouse’s or parent’s country of birth if:

• Your spouse is born in an eligible country
• Your parents are not born in the same country of birth as you and are temporarily residing in a non-eligible country

Educational attainment

This is required once you are selected. You must meet either one of the following:

• At least high school degree equal to 12 years of combined primary and secondary education, or
• At least 2 years of work experience within the previous 5 years. Your job must have required at least two 2 years of training, which you can verify here.

Application Process – How to Apply

This section explains 10 steps on how to apply, from submitting an entry to interview. Remember that the U.S. Department of State publishes a yearly updated set of DV instructions. Also, beware of fraudulent websites and emails. Read mo about their fraud warning.

1. Submit an entry for the lottery

Submission period

One entry per person must be submitted online to the Electronic Diversity Visa (E-DV) website within the registration period, otherwise you will be disqualified. Avoid accomplishing an entry in the last week, for there will be delays.

Zero fees

Completing an entry is free, so avoid anyone who would offer you help and expect payment in return. If you will still accept help, be present while the other person completes your entry to ensure correct information.

Completion

The DV entry form must only be completed at the (E-DV) website. There are full instructions on providing information to help you give accurate data and complete the entry.

• Recommended: Use an updated browser.
• Incomplete entries, entries with inaccurate information, or entries sent from other means are not accepted.

Upon completion, a confirmation screen will display your name and confirmation number. Secure your confirmation number to track your lottery entry status and see further instructions.

2. Check your entry status

Do it yourself

The Department of State has a random selection process, and they do not send notifications or mail to you about the status. The only way to check the status is to go to the Entrant Status Check on the E-DV website and use your confirmation number. If you are selected, a confirmation page will tell the next steps and the relevant fees to settle.

Lost confirmation number

If you lose the confirmation number, the Department of State will not be able to resend it to you.

3. If selected, apply for a Diversity Visa

Family members can apply

You and your family members can apply for a Diversity Visa and will also undergo the same eligibility checking process.

Schedule an eligibility checking interview

You can already complete an online DS-260 form to schedule an interview at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate. If you’re in the U.S. at the time you were selected, apply for a permanent residency permit or a green card with the Form I-485 at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

NOTE: Being selected does not guarantee you to get a DV. You still have to meet eligibility requirements under U.S. law to get one.

4. Verify qualifications

Education or work requirement

You must have at least a high school degree or 2 years of work experience as qualified under U.S. law provisions. The family members do not have to meet this requirement.

Passport requirement

You must have listed a valid passport number to see if you are eligible for international travels. Internal passports are not valid. If you fall under 3 categories of exempted people, then you don’t need to provide a passport number.

No refund if ineligible

There is no refund even if you applied for a DV despite being ineligible, giving a false or invalid passport number, or selecting an exemption category while not meeting the requirements at all.

5. Submit the Form DS-260 and Supporting Documents

Who should complete the form?

You and your family members must complete the DS-260 form. Enter the DV case number to the form to access and update the DV entry.

Updating family information

Adding a family member that was not a member when the original DV entry was submitted will require you to upload a document to prove your relationship.

Meanwhile, a spouse or a child is ineligible for a DV if:

• They were not included in the original entry
• They were in the original entry who were not legitimately a family member back then

Completion

Click Sign and Submit, then enter the DV case number without multiple zeros. Print the confirmation page and bring it to the interview.

Kentucky Consular Centre (KCC)

KCC will tell if your form was processed, but not your family members, as the consular officer will decide about it. After that, you will receive a notification to scan and submit any necessary supporting documents, such as your birth certificate, jail or police records, a passport photo, and other documents. Bring the original documents to your consular interview.

6. Know your schedule

Email notification

When the Visa number is available for you, the KCC will email you that you are scheduled with the U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

Schedule details

Log in to the E-DV website with your confirmation number to view and print the location and time of your interview. You and your family members (if possible) need to be there at least 30 minutes before the schedule.

7. Before the Interview

Check for additional instructions

Take a look at any additional interview guidelines provided by the US Embassy or Consulate.

Medical appointment

In the country where you will be interviewed, you and your family members must schedule a medical exam with a licensed doctor. Provide the interview schedule and tell that the exam is for immigrant visa applications. Finish the medical exam and get vaccinations if you haven’t yet. Keep the medical exam envelope sealed and bring to the visa interview.

Payment

The payment is not refundable, and the process varies between embassies and consulates. Each applicant for the DV-2022 must pay $330.

What to bring

Make sure to bring all required documents; otherwise, you might need to visit the Embassy or Consulate on a different day and run the risk of losing or delaying your DV. You and your family members must bring your sealed medical exam envelope, proof of vaccination, appointment letter printed from the E-DV website, 2 identical colored photos, the confirmation page from your DS-260 application, your travel passport, and payment receipts.

8. Interview proper

Bring every required document

When you and your family members are applying for visas, bring the original document you submitted to KCC or certified copies of it. You might also need to present proof of your need for a job or education, marriage license, divorce papers, and custody records. Bring the original and one photocopy of any new documents. If the documents are not in English, bring the original text and the copy that has an English translation. After the interview, you will get your original documents back and the duplicate copies will be left.

Attending the Interview

The family members immigrating together with you should be present in the interview, unless they will come separately at a later date, where there will be separate interviews for them. Keep your hands clean as your fingerprints will be digitally scanned.

What’s more?

You may check questions and concerns about the interview proper here.

9. After the Interview

Result

Whether the visa is granted or denied, the consular officer will notify you.

Visa granted

Your passport page will be filled out with your diversity visa. You will receive a packet of immigration documents that you must present sealed to the United States Border and Customs Protection.

Visa denied

If your application is rejected, you will be told why you are not qualified for a visa. In some cases, the consular officer will inform you that your visa applications might need additional processing. Depending on the particulars of each case, the administrative processing time may vary.