Diversity Visa Lottery
The Diversity Visa Lottery Program (DV) offers 55,000 new immigrant visas each year for people from under-represented nations. A nation is considered under-represented if less than 50,000 people from that country have immigrated to the U.S. in the last five years.
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) holds the lottery every year, and randomly selects approximately 110,000 applicants from all qualified entries they receive. These 110,000 applicants will then be given the opportunity to apply for Permanent Residency. All chosen individuals must be approved for their adjustment of status applications, or consular processing immigrant visas, in the fiscal year for which they are chosen.
If you receive a permanent residency visa through the DV Program, you will be:
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Authorized to live and work permanently in the U.S.; and
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Allowed to bring your spouse and any unmarried children under the age of 21 to the U.S. to live with you.
To be eligible for the DV Program:
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You should have either a high school education or its equivalent, or two years work experience within the last five years in a job that demands two years of training.
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You or your spouse must be a native of a nation that is eligible for the Diversity Lottery Program. You may be eligible if your parent was born in a nation eligible to participate in the lottery.