Green Card Lottery: Complete Info On Diversity Visa Program

Aside from non-immigrant and immigrant visas, there is another route to visit and permanently relocate to the United States. This is accomplished through the Diversity Visa Lottery. The Diversity Visa program allows people from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States to be chosen at random and granted permanent resident status.

This article will explain what the Diversity Visa Program is, as well as its requirements, application processes, fees, and other information.

What is the Diversity Visa Program?

The Diversity Visa (DV) Program is the Green Card Lottery. Application for a US Green Card is like a lottery because you have a random chance of being selected.

People from countries with low US immigration can apply for the DV Program. The program is open to all six continents and countries. The USCIS determines the number of DV visas granted each year. USCIS must distribute all visas evenly and cannot give more than 7% to one country.

DV visa holders can live in the US indefinitely. You become a US LPR if you get the visa. You can then reside in any state, work, get a driver’s license, marry, and have children in the US. You can apply for US citizenship after a specific time.

What are the requirements for the Diversity Visa?

In order to be eligible to apply for the Diversity Visa and move to the US permanently, applicants must fulfill a few requirements. The criteria are as follows:

• You must be from one of the countries allowed to apply for the DV Program. The list of countries can be found here.
• You must be at least 18 years old to apply as the head of household. This means that if you are over 18 years old but have younger children, then you can apply together
• You must have completed high school and have a high school diploma, or
• You must have at least 2 years of work experience in the last 5 years in an occupation which falls into Job Zone 4 or 5 as per the US

Department of Labor (DOL) requirements.

If you do not meet these criteria then you cannot apply for the DV Program and if you apply, the Department of State will disqualify you.

How to apply for the Diversity Visa?

Diversity Visa applications are made annually at a certain time. This happens in October or November for two years. If you apply in 2018, you’ll acquire the visa and go to the US in 2020.

The DV Program application is simple. Only one online application asks about background and personal details. This contains name, birthdate, marital status, education, employment, family history, etc.

The Green Card application is here. When the State Department announces application acceptance, you must apply immediately. This app is basic and free. If you meet the criteria, you can answer a few questions and supply the information and be done.

After submitting the application, a confirmation screen will appear with a unique number. This number must be saved and never lost. You must use this number to check your status and apply for the DV visa if selected. If you lose this confirmation number, the State Department will not send it again, so you won’t know if you were selected.

When will I know if I am selected?

If you apply between October and November, you will learn out whether you were chosen or not in May of the following year. As a result, you will have to wait 6 to 7 months for the State Department to review your application and post the results.

To check your status in the DV lottery website, enter your confirmation number. If you lose the number, you will be unable to determine whether you have been chosen and may miss out on the opportunity to move to the United States.

What happens if I am selected?

When you check your status, you may see whether or not you were chosen. If you answered yes, you must begin your application for the Diversity Lottery Visa. You must not, under any circumstances, sell your home, car, resign from your job, or purchase airfare at this time. Being chosen in the lottery does not guarantee you a visa. You must first apply for it, and then make these preparations if it is granted to you.

The following are the steps to apply for a Diversity Visa:

Submit the visa application form

Submit a Form DS-260, Online Immigrant Visa Application online. You can access this form through your confirmation number. You must enter your confirmation number without zeros (if your number for example is 2018AF0000012345, you must enter ‘2018AF12345’). When you submit the form, you will get a confirmation page which you must save for later.

Compile the supporting documents

When your interview is arranged, you must have all of your supporting documents ready. All of your documents must be in English, and the originals must be sent. You must get your documents translated by a licensed translator and ensure their accuracy. Also, while the US Embassy will want the original documents, it is a good idea to bring a set of copies just in case. Among these documents are the following:

• Original passport
• Two Diversity visa photos per person of you and your family if you are applying together
• Proof of your education and employment records
• Birth certificates of you and your family
• Court, prison, and police records
• Marriage certificates or proof of a divorce
• Military records if you were in the military
• Any additional documents that the US Embassy might require from you

Complete a medical examination

Anyone who is in the process of obtaining a US immigrant visa must go through a thorough medical exam. This includes getting the necessary vaccines and filling the medical forms. These forms must be filled out by a licensed doctor after your check-ups.

Attend the interview

The US Embassy will contact you to schedule the interview. You must attend the interview at the scheduled date and time. At the interview, you must bring these documents:

• Your Appointment Letter that you will get from the Diversity Visa website when you check your status and find that you have been selected
• Your Form DS-260 confirmation letter
• Your passport and photographs
• Your medical examination forms
• Your supporting documents

During the interview, you will be asked several questions by the consular officer and they will determine whether you are fit to receive the DV visa or not. This decision will be made by them when you complete the interview, or you will be notified after a few weeks.

What are the Diversity Visa Fees?

While there are no initial application fees for the Diversity Visa Lottery, if you are chosen, you must pay an application fee. The processing fee for the Diversity Visa is $330. If you do not pay this cost, your visa will not be processed. You will also have to pay additional expenses to obtain and translate your supporting documents.

What happens after I get the Diversity Visa?

After getting the Diversity Visa on your passport, you can start planning your US move. You must buy tickets and pay USCIS. The USCIS cost is $220 and must be paid after receiving your visa.

When you initially visit the US, immigration will review your documents. You must carry all necessary paperwork. If they think you are traveling illegally or have inadequate documents, US immigration officers might deny you admission.

USCIS requires Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, if you migrate to the US. Pay $1,140 for this form. After you pay this form, USCIS will ship your Green Card to your new address in a few weeks.

How to Avoid DV Lottery Scams?

Many people do not know the exact procedure for the diversity visa, scammers try to find ways to take advantage of that. They pose as US government agencies, asking for money or personal information.

There is Only One Way to Apply for the DV Lottery

The US government has a system in place to apply for the DV lottery. There is only one website to apply, the official Electronic Diversity Visa Lottery. The website is https://dvlottery.state.gov/. In October of each year, this website will have a place where people can apply.

The website no longer accepts applications after the deadline. Instead, candidates can utilize the website to verify the status of their application. People will find out whether or not they were chosen through that website.

Do not believe anyone who reaches you from a random website and tries to convince you that there are other ways to apply. There are numerous websites claiming to be the official website for the DV application. However, unless the URL is https://dvlottery.state.gov/, they are attempting to defraud you.

The DV Lottery Selection is Random

The US government repeatedly claims the DV lottery is random. That makes it a lottery. From many applications, the algorithm selects 55,000 people annually. Then they apply for diversity visas. No other way to be chosen.

Many websites claim paying them will boost your odds of winning. They will tell people they have a superior technique. Their strategy guarantees selection, they say. You pay a fee and they help.

These claims are false; do not believe them or pay them. Even US government authorities don’t know who gets the diversity visa. The pick is random, so wait until you receive the status check notification. If someone asks for money to win, report them to the police or ignore them.

Official US Government Websites and Emails End in .gov

The US government has webpages and email accounts. All end in.gov. No US government website or email ends in.com or.org.

Look for the address ending if the websites you identified claim to be the official DV lottery application website. If not.gov, do not accept their counsel. If they claim their method will help you get selected and the address is.com or.org, they are scamming you.

This also applies to emails. Many people receive DV lottery scam emails. Others receive emails about DV lottery procedures. Most of these scammers send emails claiming DV lottery selection. They demand payment, yet their email addresses are not.gov.

Email addresses ending in these letters are scammers.

• @kccdv.org
• @greencard-org.com
• @usafis-org.com
• @usa-dv-gov.org
• @diplomats.com
• @usa.com
• @usa-lottery-gov.org
• @visa-gov-us.org
• @post.com
• @dv-state.com, etc.

As you can see, all these email addresses end in .org or .com, not in .gov. This means that the people behind them are scammers and you should not believe anything they say. In fact, it is even better to not open or reply to these emails since they can contain viruses which infect your computer.

The US Government Does NOT Ask You for Money Online

Initial DV lottery entry is free. Application from the website is free each year. You can submit one entry every year between October and November for free.

Your application will incur processing fees if you are randomly selected. You must pay those expenses to receive the visa. There are $330 per person costs.

You must pay such expenses before the visa interview. You will pay $330 in person at the US Embassy before your visa interview. You can pay by card or cash. The US Embassy will never ask you to pay these fees online.

If you receive an email asking for diversity visa fees, do not pay. These scammers claim to be from the US State Department and need Western Union transfers. The amounts vary, but they frequently exceed $800.

Do not reply or transfer money to these emails. Someone will steal from you and never return.

To protect your assets, remember that if you are selected for the diversity visa, you will pay costs at the US Embassy, not online.

The US Government Does NOT Send Emails for the DV Lottery

Around May the following year, the US State Department reveals the winners of October and November applications. In previous years, they mailed winners letters announcing their selection. Anyone who applied can check their status online at https://dvlottery.state.gov/.

Apply and save your application number. You can input that number to see if you were picked when results are posted.

The US State Department will not email you if they picked you. You must verify that. Never believe an email saying you were chosen.

If You Hire a Lawyer, Ask for Credentials

Many don’t have time to research DV lottery regulations or desire to consult a specialist. That is why they consult a lawyer about eligibility and application. Many lawyers claim to specialize in US visas. Before hiring and paying someone, check their credentials.

Law firms cannot operate without licenses, so request one. If you suspect something, get their business certifications or diplomas. Paying persons without practicing licenses is certainly a scheme to profit from visa applicants.

What to Do If You Are a Victim of Fraud?

You may not aware that scammers have several ways to get your money. They may pretend to be official agencies or visa professionals offering a US Green Card you wanted. Their deception made you a scam victim. Since these scammers are skilled and hidden, you can’t recover your money. You can report them to authorities.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) hosts a website system for internet fraud. The econsumer.gov website was created by consumer protection agencies from 17 countries. It deals with fraud across many countries and they have better capabilities to track the scammers. You can also contact them through their phone number 1-877-382-4357, or go to ftc.gov/complaint.

Additionally, you can also visit the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) website hosted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), or the US Department of Justice.