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Frequently Asked Questions
| What is the Green Card Lottery? |
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The Green Card Lottery, officially called the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, is a lottery for people who come from countries with low immigration rates to
the United States. Each year 50,000 immigrant visas are made
available through this program. None of these visas are
available for people who come from countries that have sent more
than 50,000 immigrants to the United States in the past five
years. The U.S. Department of State holds the
lottery every year and winners are chosen randomly from all
qualified entries. Anyone who is selected in this lottery
will be given the opportunity to apply for permanent residence.
If permanent residence is granted, the individual will be
authorized to live and work permanently in the United States.
You will also be allowed to bring your spouse and any unmarried
children under the age of 21 to the United States. |
| What is the
processing fee and how can I pay it? |
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This website provides Green Card Lottery registration for a fee. The use of a Green Card Lottery agent is
not mandatory. You can apply directly at the National Visa Center for free. The main advantage of using a reputable
Green Card Lottery agent is that you do not need to submit your photos electronically.
You can also submit actual photos via regular mail and the agent will scan your photo and make sure it meets the strict new photo requirements. Your application will also be checked for mistakes and incomplete information, and it will be submitted directly to the National Visa Center for processing.
The processing fee for mail applications starts at US$50 for one year. Multiple-year applications are
also available, which means that your application will be
submitted automatically every year (for up to 8 years) to the
National Visa Center. |
How do I participate in the Green Card Lottery? |
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You must meet all the requirements and
submit the application to us. If you qualify, we will carefully prepare your
application and submit it to the National Visa Center for processing. |
| Can I still apply by mail? I've heard that mail applications are no longer accepted. |
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Yes, mail applications are still accepted if
you apply using the services of a legitimate Green Card Lottery agency.
Your photo will be scanned and your application will be submitted electronically
to the National Visa Center for processing. If you apply directly at the
National Visa Center, you can only submit online applications. |
| When is the application deadline? |
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Online and mail applications for the 2008 Green Card Lottery (DV-2010)
will be accepted until December 01, 2008. |
| Can I apply on behalf of someone? A relative or friend who lives abroad for example. |
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Yes, you may apply on behalf of a friend or
relative. You may apply online or by mail on behalf of someone. The person
does not need to sign the application form or be in the United States. The only
information you need is the applicant's:
- Full Name
- Place of Birth
- Date of Birth
- Spouse and Children information (name, date, and place of birth) if the
applicant is married or have children.
- A recent photo (you or the applicant himself/herself can submit the photo)
- Address: You can enter your address and email address instead of the
applicant's contact information, but you may also enter the applicant's address. |
| I am applying on behalf of someone. Can I pay the processing fee? |
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Yes, you pay for someone's application. You may pay by credit card if you apply online, by check, or money order if submitting an application by mail.
The name on the credit card or check does not have to match the name of the
person applying. |
| Does the applicant have to sign the application form
(mail applications)? |
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No. The applicant does not need to sign the form. A friend or relative may submit the application. The applicant himself/herself does not need to sign it. |
| Can I enter an address in the
United States on my Green Card Lottery application? |
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Yes, you may enter an address in the United States or an address abroad. Due to
the sometimes unreliable and slow mail service to other countries,
it is actually recommended that you enter an address in the United States (if
you have one). |
| Do I qualify to
enter the Green Card Lottery? |
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An applicant must be able to:
I) claim nativity in an eligible
country, AND
II) meet either the education
or training requirement
Click here for more details. |
| Who is eligible
to enter the Green Card Lottery? |
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You or your spouse must be a
native of a country that is eligible to participate in the
Diversity Visa Lottery. If you are born in a country that is not
eligible, but both your parents or your spouse was born in an
eligible country, you do qualify. The U.S. State Department publishes the
list of
countries that are eligible to participate before each year's
lottery. You must have a high school diploma or equivalent,
defined in the United States as successful completion of a
12-year course of elementary and secondary education, OR you
must have two years of work experience within the last five
years in an occupation that requires at least two years of
training or experience to perform. Click here for
more details. |
| Which countries
cannot participate in the Green Card Lottery? |
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Almost every country in the world is in the Green Card
Lottery. However, the following countries are excluded
from participating in this year's Green Card Lottery:
| - Canada |
- Mexico |
| - China (mainland-born) * |
- Pakistan |
| - Colombia |
- Philippines |
| - Dominican Republic |
- Russian
Federation |
| - El Salvador |
- South Korea |
| - Haiti |
- Vietnam |
| - India |
- United Kingdom and
its
dependent territories ** |
| - Jamaica |
* Persons born in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan are eligible.
** Ireland and Northern Ireland are eligible.
Important: If you were born
in a country which cannot participate in the Green Card
Lottery, you may still enter the lottery if your spouse or
both
of your parents were born in an eligible country. For
example, if you were born in Canada or the United Kingdom
(both ineligible countries), but your husband/wife or
your parents were born in Ireland (an eligible country), you
can enter the Green Card Lottery. On the application form, you
should enter
your spouse/parents country of birth as your "native
country" and your country of birth in the "Place of Birth"
field.
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| I was born in one of the
countries excluded from this year's Green Card Lottery. Will these countries
ever be eligible to apply? |
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The list of countries has not changed much in the past 10 years. There is no indication that any of these countries might be eligible in the near future. Remember that even if you were born in an
ineligible country, you may apply if both your parents were born in an eligible
country. It does not have to be the same country, but both parents need to be born in an
eligible country. You should enter your country of birth in the "Place of Birth" field, and your
father's or mother's country of birth in the "Native Country" field. |
| If I am not successful this year can I apply for the Green Card Lottery again in the future? |
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Yes, you may apply again without any penalties or restrictions. |
| How can a married couple increase their chances of being selected? |
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Legally married couples have
the option of submitting 2 applications:
1. On the first application, the husband is the primary
applicant and the wife is listed in the "spouse" section.
2. On the second application, the wife is the primary
applicant and the husband is listed in the "spouse" section.
Couples submitting 2 applications double their chances
of being selected. To file a dual application as described above, both
the husband and the wife must meet the application requirements. You
should also include your unmarried children (if any) under
21-years of age on both applications. |
Does a Green Card Lottery application affect other visa or green card applications?
(For example Green Card through marriage/employment or tourist/student/work visa application) |
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Normally not. This is a
separate application process and it should not be a problem. If you are applying for another type of visa at the American embassy/consulate in your
country, you might be asked if you have also applied for the Green Card Lottery. Do
not submit any supporting documents with this Green Card Lottery application. |
| Do I need to submit any supporting documents with my application? |
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No! Supporting documents (i.e. birth, marriage, education certificates, etc.) only need to be produced if you are selected in the Green Card Lottery. You will receive further instructions if you are selected. |
| What does the Law say? |
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The legal foundation for the
Diversity Immigrant Visa Program comes from the Immigration and
Nationality Act (INA). Please see The Law
for more information. |
| I'm eligible to apply but I'm currently living in an ineligible country - can I still apply? |
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Yes! As long as you meet the eligibility requirements (country of birth and education), you may apply from anywhere in the world. |
| If I am selected in the Green
Card Lottery, how long time will it take before I get a Green Card? |
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Thee process takes about 6-12 months on
average. |
| How long is a Green Card valid for? |
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It is valid indefinitely as long as you maintain your U.S. residence. In other words, there is no time restriction on how long you
can stay in the United States. |
| If I get a Green Card
(permanent residence in the United States), can I also get US citizenship? |
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You may apply for U.S. Citizenship after 5 years of continuous residence in the
United States. Application for citizenship is optional. |
| How can I find out if I was selected in the Green Card Lottery? |
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Only the winners will be
notified. If you are selected in the 2008 Green
Card Lottery (DV-2010), you will receive a letter directly from the U.S.
Department of State between May and July 2009. The letter will be sent to the address you
provided on your application. Winners will be sent instructions and additional information
on how to proceed with the application application.
Being selected as a winner in the diversity visa lottery does
not automatically guarantee that you will be issued a visa, even
if you are qualified. The number of entries selected is greater
than the number of immigrant visas available because not
everyone selected will be qualified for the visa or will choose
to complete the processing. Once all 50,000 visas have been
issued, the DV Program will end for the year. |
| Is there a minimum age to apply? |
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There is no minimum age.
However, the education and work experience requirement for the
principal applicant will probably exclude most individuals under 18
years of age from applying. |
| What is the correct photo size and specifications? |
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Upon the receipt of your application, an email will be sent to you with instructions how to submit the photos. |
| When and how should I submit my Green Card Lottery photo? |
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You must submit your photo after you receive the confirmation email.
All photos must be received by December 3rd 2006, and not only if you are selected.
You should email the photos to
photos@usgreencardlottery.com or send them by regular mail to:
US IMMIGRATION CENTER
4200 Wisconsin Ave NW # 300
Washington, DC 20016-2143
United States
Make sure you include your full name and email address as specified in the
application previously submitted online.
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| May persons who are in the United States apply? |
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Yes, an applicant may be in the United States or in any other country.
However, illegal immigrants are NOT eligible to apply. Persons who entered
the United States illegally, or are currently out of status (e.g. overstaying their
visas) are not eligible. |
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