Green Card Lottery
Traditional immigration to the United States is based on either a family or employment. Individuals lacking such a basis oftentimes make application for the Diversity Visa (DV) Program. This program has come to be known as: “The Green Card Lottery”. It has been held annually since 1990. Statistics reflect that the percentage of Ukrainians who have won in the lottery is relatively high.
There are 55,000 visas available each year via the Diversity Visa Program. The visas are limited to applicants from countries that have experienced low rates of immigration in the preceding five (5) years.
Applicants wishing to obtain DV visas are chosen by random selection conducted by computer. The visas are distributed among six geographical regions, and each country is limited to no more than 7% of the visas.
Upon immigrating to the USA, the applicant and his/her family will enjoy almost all the same benefits of a US Citizen. Such as: the right to education and employment.
Requirements for participants:
- Birth in a country whose natives qualify;
- Having achieved at least a high school education or its equivalent, defined as successful completion of a 12-year course of formal elementary and secondary education;
OR
- two years of work experience within the past five years in an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience to perform.
The procedure of participation in the lottery can be divided into five stages:
- Completing electronic entry for the DV-Program (registration in the program);
- Submission of visa application (in case of winning a lottery);
- Collecting and preparing of supporting documents;
- Visa applicant interview at the US Embassy or Consulate (outside the US);
- Entering the United States.
We advise you to pay close attention to each of the above steps. In particular, carefully read the information on the official pages of the lottery: http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/english/immigrate/diversity-visa/instructions.html.
The only way to participate in the lottery is to fill out the registration form on the website of the US government: www.dvlottery.state.gov
The initial submission of the electronic application form for participation in the DV program is free of charge, only selected applicants should pay state fee, and only just before the interview at the US embassy or consulate.
Fill out your details in the application form very carefully, according to the instructions. Providing false or misleading information may cause a disqualification of an applicant.
After the registration is complete, print the confirmation page and save the application number. In the future, the applicant can check the status of his application online.
In the event of winning the applicant must complete an application for a visa, also online. After filling in such a form, the applicant will be interviewed at the consular section of the embassy.
Winning the Green Card Lottery does not mean the automatic grant of a visa and Green Card. There are multiple reasons why a visa can be denied. For example: the criminal past, activities related to the drugs traffic, as well as fraud in obtaining a visa.
In any case, a person who applies for a visa must prove that he/she will not use government entitlement, in other words the government will not help a newly arrived immigrant. To prove that the applicant will be able to live and work in the US, it is necessary to submit an invitation to work or to indicate relatives / friends in the United States who will be able to support a potential immigrant.
Even simple things, such as: use of the wrong photo format can be a reason for disqualification.
To avoid difficulties at the Consular Interview, it is of utmost importance that the applicant be in possession of all of the legally sufficient supporting documentation. Preparation of the documentation and for the interview is critical to success.
The Immigration lawyers of Feod Group offer advice to clients on all matters relating to immigration. Many applications (the Diversity Visa included) have little or no grounds for an appeal of a denial. Thus, we strongly encourage applicants to obtain advice before submitting an application for participation in the lottery.
Our specialists will help you fill all requires questionnaires and forms, collect a completed package of documents, prepare you and your family for a interview in the US Embassy, and will provide informational support before and after the entering the US.
Feod Group specialists provide legal assistance to clients in obtaining the status of a permanent resident (Green Card) or a temporary resident of the United States based on:
Feod Group has extensive experience in preparing applications for all types of US-visas. Over 25 years, the company has provided its clients with comprehensive service. Applying for immigration at the US Consulate or Adjusting Status in the USA are complex immigration matters.
