Ever tried applying for a diversity immigrant visa? Yearly, the Unites States gives out immigration visas to qualified applicants but guess what?
The diversity immigrant visa makes up a ton of 50,000 immigrant visas. You could gain a green card through the diversity immigrant visa program.
This visa is favorable to everyone that wishes to immigrate to the United States. But it mostly favors people from countries will low immigration rates to the United States of America.
So, if you wish to apply for the diversity immigrant visa for 2024, you should read through this article and find out all you need to know.
What is the diversity immigrant visa program?
The diversity immigrant visa program, also called the Green Card lottery is a program carved out by the United States government.
This visa program allows immigrants that win the lottery to automatically receive a United States green card. The department of State maps out 55,00 diversity immigrant visas to give to winners from different backgrounds.
Back then in the ’90s, the United States government established the Immigration Act Program precisely in 1991. So the program allows people to try out their luck to come and reside in the US as permanent residents.
Individuals and family members that could not immigrate to America on their own have a fair chance with the lottery and the department makes sure that the winners are selected randomly from the applications.
Who is eligible for the diversity immigrant visa?
Everyone that showed interest and desired to win the lottery can apply and may be lucky but things have changed.
For the 2023 diversity immigrant visa, the United States excluded some countries from the list of countries that can apply. These countries are:
- Colombia
- Nigeria
- Brazil
- Philippines
- El Salvador
- Canada
- Pakistan
- India
- Dominican Republic
- South Korea
- Venezuela
- Haiti
- United Kingdom
- Mexico
- Honduras
- Vietnam
- Bangladesh
- Jamaica
Perhaps you did not find your country in the list of eligible countries, you could still be qualified to apply if you married from an eligible country.
Again, if you have a parent that is a national of the eligible country, you have an edge of favor.
Another eligibility criterion is your educational background. Now, you must have completed at least a high school degree or have a two-year work experience in the last five years.
What is the cost of the diversity visa lottery?
To apply for the visa lottery comes at no cost. But if selected, the right office will notify you and you will pay the green card fees.
When can I apply for the green card lottery?
The lottery application for 2023 was concluded in 2021. The DV2024 application will continue till the 8th of November, 2022. Then, the visa lottery will take place come March 1, 2023.
Afterwards, the United States will publish the winners on the 7th of March, 2023. However, the selected lots will attend an interview and finally move into America with their green cards in January 2024.
What are the requirements for applying for the diversity immigrant visa?
Every visa application must require you to fill out a form first and the diversity visa lottery is no exception.
After filling out a form, you must present the following evidence:
- Your birth certificate
- Passport photographs X2
- A copy of your passport page
- The receipt of the processing fees of your diversity visa lottery issues by the Department of Service.
- Arrival and departure records
- If you have been arrested before, you must present the court records.
- A copy of your selection letter for the diversity visa lottery.
How do I get notified if selected?
Firstly, the Department of Service makes a randomized selection of people that will receive the green card with the help of a computer.
When this is done, the DOS will upload the result to the website. You can always check out the website of diversity visas online.
Once you receive confirmation of selection, you will also receive a numerical rank. By then, you can go ahead and submit your visa application. A successful application will go through the consulate near you.
The consulate will schedule an interview with you. luckily, if it goes successful, you may be asked to submit more documents or meet more requirements.
The consulate will approve your interview and offer you an immigrant visa.
Where can I be and win the lottery?
It is preferable to apply from your home country. A lot of people that win this visa lottery apply from their country of origin.
However, immigrants in the United States with a temporary visa also can apply for this visa lottery. If you are selected, you can go ahead to apply for a US green card through the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS).
In conclusion, it is highly recommended that you watch out for the updates on the websites and the visa bulletin. If you want to join the next batch of applicants, you must be ready to apply this year before November.
