Have you dreamed of immigrating to the United States? Do you worry that you don’t have enough unique qualifiers to help you get through?
You may still get your chance through the Diversity Visa lottery. Sometimes called the “green card lottery,” the Diversity Visa lottery was created back in 1990 as a way to manage some of the inequities in the immigration system.
In essence, the Diversity Visa gives people from underrepresented countries a unique chance to obtain permanent residence status in the United States if they’re chosen randomly from the newest batch of applicants.
Who can apply for the Diversity Visa lottery?
You can apply from both outside the United States or from within, if you’re here on another kind of visa. To qualify for selection, however, you must be a citizen of a country that has sent fewer than 50,000 immigrants to this nation over the last five years.
The application for the lottery (along with information about which natives of which countries are currently not eligible for selection due to their recent immigration rates) is available online — and can only be completed electronically.
Registration opened on Oct. 6, and it closes again on Nov. 9 at noon. Hopeful applicants are being told not to delay filing, however, in case the website becomes overwhelmed by demand. It is free to file, although those selected will have to pay the normal visa application fees or the fees associated with their adjustment of status.
Lottery winners are chosen electronically, at random, to avoid any potential favoritism, and they can check their status on May 8, 2022, to see if they won.
What if this feels a little uncertain to you?
Roughly 50,000 immigrants will catch a lucky break through the lottery, but you may not want to put all your hopes in that particular basket. Find out more about the avenues for immigration available to you today.
