The DV Lottery officially called the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program or also known as the green card lottery. It is a yearly program that gives people an opportunity to enter for a chance to win a U.S. visa. A computer selects the winners randomly.
Winners and their immediate family members can become legal permanent residents with green cards. They can live, work, and study in the USA. After 5 years, they can apply to become U.S. citizens. This year’s application has been opened to welcome eligible applicants to enter the draw.
How to apply for the DV Lottery 2024
To apply for this year 2024 diversity visa lottery program you must submit your entry form during the registration period between October 5, 2022 12pm ET and November 8, 2022 12pm ET.
Be sure to read the instructions first. You must submit your entry electronically through the U.S. Department of State.
There are 55,000 diversity visas available for the DV-2024 program. The chance of getting a diversity visa is very low. Close to 7 million people applied last year.
Eligible applicant
Participants in the 2024 DV Lottery must meet two requirements.
- You must be a citizen of a country with low rates of immigration to the United States.
You can not apply if you are from the following countries:
- Bangladesh
- Brazil
- Canada
- China (including Hong Kong SAR)
- Colombia
- Dominican Republic
- El Salvador
- Haiti
- Honduras
- India
- Jamaica
- Mexico
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Philippines
- Republic of Korea (South Korea)
- United Kingdom and territories
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
Macau SAR, Taiwan, and Northern Ireland are eligible. You can still enter if your spouse is a native of a country with low rates of immigration. You can also claim the country of birth of your parents if they were born in a low immigration country.
2. You must have certain education and work experience. This includes a high school diploma or two years in an occupation that required at least two years of training. Learn about the qualifying occupations.
You do not have to speak English to apply for the DV lottery.
How to apply
- Gather all your information before filling in the form. This will make the process easier.
- Visit the official website to access the form.
- Complete all answers on the form. Incomplete forms will not be accepted.
- Fill out the information on your eligible spouse and children per the instructions.
- Make sure your photograph meets the listed requirements.
- Submit your entry early. Increased demand could result in possible issues with the website or delays.
- Do not submit more than one entry. Multiple entries will exclude you from the lottery.
- Keep a copy of your confirmation page and number.
Announcing the Dv Lottery results
Results for the 2024-DV program will be posted on May 6, 2023. You must use the entrant status check directly with the U.S. Department of State to check if you won. You will have to input your confirmation number.
You will not receive a letter or an email telling you if you won.
Information for winners of Dv Lottery
Being selected for the DV Program does not guarantee you will get a green card. After winning the visa lottery, you will still have to:
Confirm your qualifications. Make sure you have a high school diploma or at least two years of work experience. Your passport also needs to be valid.
Submit Form DS-260. After submitting the form online, print the confirmation page. You will need this for your interview.
Submit supporting documents. Your interview will not be scheduled until you submit scanned copies of all required documents.
Prepare for the interview. If your spouse and children are also applying for the DV visa they must be at the interview with you.
Attend interview. An officer from your local U.S. Embassy or Consulate will ask you questions about your application and documents. At the end of the interview, the officer will tell you if your entry was approved or denied.
Once getting through these additional steps, you will receive a visa. Your DV visa will be put on your passport and you will receive a sealed immigrant packet.
To enter the United States you will need to:
- Pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee ($220)
- Travel to the U.S. before your DV visa expires
- Present the sealed packet unopened
- Have required medical records on hand
There is currently a visa backlog. If you applied for the 2023 DV Program, you will need to be found eligible for the visa and adjust your status by September 30, 2023.
Warning about DV lottery scams
- Be aware of fraudulent emails and letters from scammers.
- Remember: The DV lottery is free.
- There is no way to increase your chances of winning. If someone is requesting money or offering a way to improve your chances, it is a scam. Do not pay money for an entry or to check the status of your entry. Read more about diversity visa scams.
Thank you for reading this article.
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