The Diversity Visa (DV) Green Card Lottery was introduced by the United States government to enable people from diverse cultures to come, live and work in America. The chief aim of this system to diversify the population of the United States and make it a global nation in the true sense of the word.
The DV lottery is drawn once every year, through which 50,000 applicants from selected countries are granted the Green Card, the United States’ official permit to allow foreign nationals to live and work in the country on a permanent basis.
Here are the top three benefits of entering the US green card lottery.
Greater chances of qualifying Every year, scores of people from across the world apply for the US green card to be able to legally live and work in the country. However, only a small percentage of applicants are successful, simply because the applications far outnumber the visas issued each year.
While winning the DV lottery is only the first step in your green card issuance process, entering the lottery multiplies your chances of obtaining the green card, provided you fulfill the education and country-of-origin requirements.
Exclusive opportunity for applicants from select qualifying countries
The purpose of the DV lottery is to invite applications from natives of those countries that do not generally send many immigrants to the United States. If your country is eligible and you have high school education or the required work experience, you directly qualify to enter the lottery, surpassing tens of thousands of other applicants from non-eligible countries.
In this sense, the DV lottery is an exclusive offering created to increase the representation of certain countries in the United States.
Higher chances for families through double application with spouse
It’s a simple logic: when you and your spouse both enter the DV lottery and list the other as dependent, this doubles your chances of winning the green card lottery.
As multiple applications by a single person are not permitted (the system will automatically disqualify you and cancel your application), applying together with your spouse is a great way to maximize your chances of winning.
If one of you wins, the spouse and all unmarried children under 21 years of age also become eligible to receive a green card and live legally in the US.
Qualification Criteria to Enter the Green Card Diversity Visa Lottery
* You need to be a native of (born in) a qualifying country. The list of qualifying countries changes every year, so be sure to check if your country of birth qualifies for DV2020.
* If your native country is not eligible, you may still enter the lottery if either of your parents or your spouse was born in a qualifying country. This is subject to some conditions. Do check the eligibility criteria before applying.
* You need to have completed high school education OR possess relevant work experience in a qualifying occupation. Check the list of qualifying jobs to confirm if you meet this criterion.