What Is The Diversity Immigrant Visa Lottery?

The Immigration Act of 1990 created the Diversity Immigrant Visa Lottery. This drawing was established to benefit individuals from specific countries who send the least amount of immigrants to the United States. Residents of these countries who also meet all the requirements are eligible to enter the lottery. The lottery registration usually takes place each year in the fall.

If you meet the visa lottery requirements, you may be wondering what you can do to have your name added. An attorney trained in U.S. immigration law can help you determine if you qualify for the lottery and how to enter.

The Atlanta immigration attorneys at Shirazi Immigration Law Inc. discuss more on the green card lottery below.

Who Can Enter the Diversity Immigrant Visa Lottery? 

Every year there are 50,000 openings that are included in the Diversity Immigrant Visa Lottery. The United States will organize the world into different regions. Then, a maximum of 7% of these green card openings will be put into each defined area. Individuals that win the lottery and are able to successfully work through the application process can then become lawful permanent residents. Additionally, these individuals can also have their spouse and any children under the age of 21 who are not married also come to the country and apply to be lawful permanent residents.

Despite having the world divided into regions, not all countries in each region will be able to have their residents enter the lottery. In 2022, there were approximately 19 countries whose residents were unable to register for the lottery. The countries that qualify for the lottery will vary each year because it is meant for only those countries that have sent the fewest residents to the U.S. For example, a couple of the countries in 2022 that did not qualify included Canada, Mexico, China, and Honduras.

Additionally, it is essential to note that just living in one of the countries that qualify for entering the lottery does not mean that a resident will have the ability to apply. Typically, residents who were both living in eligible countries that were also born there too, or are considered native to the country are the only individuals who are able to apply.

Individuals from eligible countries who meet specific requirements can submit their entry for the lottery when the open registration period begins. Though, it is critical that individuals only enter their name one time during that open registration period. Applying more than once during any given registration period will mean that an applicant will become ineligible for the lottery as their application will be excluded from the drawing.

Speak to a Georgia Immigration Attorney Today 

If you are interested in learning more about the Diversity Immigrant Visa Lottery, if you are eligible to apply, or if you are from a country that is not eligible to apply how you can work around that, you can call a Georgia immigration attorney at Shirazi Immigration Law Inc. at 404-523-3611 for the Atlanta office.

Source:

usa.gov/green-card-lottery