From October 3 to November 6, 2018, citizens of certain countries may apply for a Green Card though the Diversity Visa Lottery. Section 203(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) provides for a class of immigrants known as “diversity immigrants,” from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States. A limited number of visas are available each fiscal year, and there is no cost to register for the DV Program.
Applicants who are selected in the program (“selectees”) must meet simple but strict eligibility requirements to qualify for a diversity visa. The Department of State determines selectees through a randomized computer drawing. The Department of State distributes diversity visas among six (6) geographic regions, and no single country may receive more than seven percent (7%) of the available DVs in any one year.
Who is Eligible?
For DV-2019, natives of the following countries are not eligible to apply, because more than 50,000 natives of these countries immigrated to the United States in the previous five years:
Bangladesh
Brazil
Canada
China (mainland-born)
Colombia
Dominican Republic
El Salvador
Haiti
India
Jamaica
Mexico
Nigeria
Pakistan
Peru
Philippines
South Korea
United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, and
Vietnam.
Persons born in Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, and Taiwan are eligible. There were no changes in eligibility this year based on last year’s list.
Click here for statistics from past years’ lottery results by country/region.
If you are selected, you will need to schedule an interview at the consulate in your home country.
Requirements:
The Diversity Immigrant Visa (DV) Program requires the principal DV applicant to have a high school education, or its equivalent, or two years of qualifying work experience as defined under provisions of U.S. law. You should not continue with your DV application if you do not meet the qualifying education or work experience requirements explained below because you will not be issued a visa, and any fees you pay will not be refunded.
About The Grady Firm, P.C.
The Grady Firm works with dynamic employers and employees across the country to prepare successful employment-based visa and Green Card applications. In addition, we help individuals, families, employees, business owners, and investors obtain non-immigrant and immigrant visas (B-1/B2, H-1B, H-2B, L-1A, L-1B, O-1, TN, E-2, E-3), as well and Green Cards and citizenship based on family relationships, investment, or employment.
Click here to schedule a complimentary 15-minute consultation with The Grady Firm’s attorneys; call +1 (949) 798-6298; or fill out a Contact Request Form.
This article is for informational purposes only, and does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship. This article does not make any guarantees as to the outcome of a particular matter, as each matter has its own set of circumstances and must be evaluated individually by a licensed attorney.