The Diversity Immigrant Visa lottery

What is the Diversity Immigrant Visa?

Source: USA.gov 

The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV Program) makes immigrant visas available to citizens of countries with low immigration rates. The program is also known as the DV Lottery and the Green Card Lottery.

Who qualifies for a diversity immigrant?

To qualify for the lottery, you must be a:

• Citizen from the U.S. State Department's list of countries with of low immigration rates. The list of countries may change each year. 

• High school graduate (or similar degree) OR have qualifying work experience.

How do I register for the lottery?

The dates you can register for the DV Lottery change each year. Registration for the 2025 DV Lottery is from October 4, 2023 to November 7, 2023 at 12 noon ET. Use the free online form in the government website linked in "Learn more."

Watch out for scams and fraud

(Information from: https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/avoid-immigration-scams-get-real-help)

Scammers try to trick people by charging money to apply to the program, promising special access, or promising to increase someone’s chances of winning the lottery.

What to know:

• You can enter the visa lottery:
  • only once a year
  • only at dvlottery.state.gov
  • only if you’re from an eligible country and meet the educational or work requirements.
• You don’t have to pay to apply for the visa lottery.
• The winners are picked at random and no one can influence the results.
• You can only find out the status of your entry at dvlottery.state.gov.