Diversity Visa
One of the easiest immigration pathways for relocation to the United States as a Permanent Resident Green Card holder is through the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program. This is because a lottery is used as a fair method to select about 100,000 individuals per year who will receive an invitation to apply for the approximately 55,000 Diversity Visas granted annually. The two key requirements for participation in the Diversity Visa Lottery (DV-Lottery) are also quite simple, especially when compared with the criteria for Employment-Based US immigration programs.
Diversification of the US population is the main goal of the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program. Therefore, the primary applicant must be born in a country listed as eligible for any given year. The US State Department, which runs the Diversity Visa Immigrant Program, lists the names of eligible and ineligible countries on its website in September prior to the yearly submission period held during October and November. In order to take part in the DV-Lottery, an individual must also have completed 12 years of primary and secondary education (i.e., have at least a high school education). In the event that the applicant does not satisfy the education requirement, he or she must possess a minimum of two years of work experience, acquired in the five years prior to submission, in an occupation for which at least two years of experience or training is needed for US employment. These Job Zone 4 or 5 occupations must have a Specific Vocational Preparation (SVP) rating of at least 7.0 as detailed on the US Department of Labor’s O*Net Online database.
The DV-Lottery participants can check if they were selected as “winners” on the US State Department’s E-DV website starting in May. The selectee, and his or her family members who were included on the DV-Lottery application (if relevant), must finish the consular procedure and receive their Diversity Immigrant Visa(s) no later than September 30th of the following year. The Diversity Visa is placed in the new immigrant’s passport to permit entry to the United States; however, the Green Card is carried while living in America as proof of US permanent resident status.
Although it is relatively easy to meet the requirements for DV-Lottery participation, many people who qualify are prevented from taking part, while others get disqualified as selectees during the consular stage of the US immigration procedure, because they did not satisfy all of the regulations for the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program. The professionals at USA Visa Consultant have the knowledge and experience necessary to help individuals and families navigate the different stages of the US immigration process so they can have the best opportunity to live and work in America.
To find out if you qualify for relocation to the United States, click here!