How to Avoid being Disqualified from the Green Card Lottery (Diversity Visa Program)
The US State Department last week announced that the registration period for the 2021 Diversity Visa Program (DV-2021), otherwise known as the Green Card Lottery, will start on Wednesday, October 2nd, 2019 and end on Tuesday, November 5th, 2019.
The State Department urges qualified individuals not to wait until the last week to submit their entry as heavy demand may result in website delays.
To qualify, an individual must:
- Be a native of an eligible country. The Diversity Visa program is intended to increase the diversity of the immigration population in the US. As such, native of countries with large immigration rates (over 50,000 immigrants) to the US in the last five years are ineligible to participate. For DV-2021, the following countries are ineligible: Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (mainland-born), Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, and Vietnam.
- Have at least a high school education or its equivalent (successful completion of a 12-year course of formal elementary and secondary education), or two years of qualifying work experience.
Entrants who win the lottery will be subject to background checks and interviews at the US embassy or consulates assigned to their home country, so the State Department advices that those participating in the program must be admissible to the United States. Individuals with criminal records and win the lottery may not be approved for immigrant visas.
The State Department also lists some reasons and actions by an entrant that will disqualify his/her entry:
- Listing an incorrect country of eligibility or chargeability (i.e., one to which you cannot establish a valid claim).
- Failure to meet education or work experience requirements. If it is determined that an individual did not meet this requirement, the entry will be disqualified at the time of permanent resident visa (green card) interview. No visa will be issued to the entrant or his/her family members.
- The program requires that each entrant submits only one entry. The State Department says it uses sophisticated technology to detect multiple entries. Entrants with multiple entries will be disqualified. If you received a confirmation number, then your entry was submitted and recorded and you should not enter another one.
- Entering false, inaccurate, or invalid passport number will lead to disqualification.
- Failure to list your eligible spouse, or listing someone who is not your spouse, is grounds for disqualification. The State Department states that if you are not married at the time of entry but plan on getting married in the future, you should not list a spouse on your entry form as this would be grounds for disqualification. However, if your spouse is a US citizen or lawful permanent resident, you should not list him/her in the entry.
- Entries that are not correct or complete will be disqualified.
In the period October 2nd, 2019 and November 5th, 2019, those wishing to participate in the DV-2021 can submit their entries at dvlottery.state.gov.
Comments (82)
What if you get married between now and the period of registration
I look forward become a citizen of this great superpower country in the world.
What about giving a passport number using my passport which is not digital coz i havent applied for digital one
The old passport is valid.. Just use that number
What about giving a passport number using my passport which is not digital coz i havent applied for digital one
Can a couple from different country apply if one is legible and the other not legible is is possible?
The main applicant is the one who must come from a legible country if am not wrong
Yes, it is possible
Yes, it is possible
My 25 cents, if you've a small business, or a small house, or a few cows, this lottery is not for you. Concentrate on those projects and very soon, you'll be an employer.
My wife and I are not legally married(church wedding) but we live together for the last 4 years and have a daughter, does that qualify us as married.
No, George. In the eyes of the government you have a roommate not a wife. Get married and then get a document that confirms she's your wife legally. Otherwise if either one of you apply and win, the other will get left behind. Your daughter will travel with the winner.
Hello, is an affidavit enough? Legally signed by a commissioner of oaths?
Hi Kenyan, clarify for me please,currently am in the middle east working and the process starts on next month, I was just wondering whether you know if I can get a marriage certificate online(attorney from Kenya). Is it possible??
I don't know. That's a question a lawyer practising in Kenya can answer. I don't want to mislead you with incorrect information.
Can we qualify to go as a couple if iny any case one of us wins and we had gotten married between October and May.. Please kenyan
If either one of you wins, that person can petition (fill in a period request) for the other to get a green card but they have to be your spouse legally, meaning you have documentation yo confirm this. Otherwise the petition will not go through. All this info is available on the uscis.gov website.
I have seen people get the certificate even as after being selected but before going for interview, especially where kids are is there a new version apart from this?
Yes you are qualified. In this situation if you don't have a marriage certificate than you are considered as single and you need to apply as single. And your wife apply separately. Unless you get the marriage certificate.
Noted, thanks
May I know the age limit for dv.lottery? Can someone above fifty years elligible?
Age based discrimination is illegal in the US. Like those employment ads in Kenya where they state applicants age 20 - 45 years, that will not work in the US. Such companies would face stiff penalties (if caught).
Absolutely! As long as you're 18+ no maximum age limit.
1_ If am not married but am planning to get married in future will they accept me?
2_ Right now am working in United Arab Emirates(Abudhabi) but am coming from Uganda i.e am a Ugandan and am holding a valid Ugandan passport will they accept me
1. You will enter the lottery as single, so yes.
2. Yes, Uganda is an eligible country
Can I apply even if I am not a form 4,I was form tree
Hey,I hv applied severally but not luck,,I hope this time round it will succeed,,In God I always trust
I need a green card
No u all wont get it stay where u are we dont want u in America
You are wonderful, thanks for the information, God bless America.
How can we satisfy that we can win fir the green card?
can a student who is not a citizen of the country is being launch but studying in the country apply for it?
Can you apply if you live in USA
Yes, you can apply while residing in the US but the tricky part is, depending on your status, you may be required to go back to your home country to apply for the new status. The problem her could be that, if you don't go through with your green card, you may be forced to stay in your home country and be barred from returning back to the US even with a valid visa. For people on a student visa for instance, applying for a Green Card already tells the government that you intend to stay in the country and not leave as soon as you complete your studies (which is what you assured them, before you got your student visa) So they may barr the student. Good luck.
Can i filled dv lottery when i am present in usa ..??? Because i m on assylee over here from nepal
Can I apply dv lottery since me and my wife has been in US before for visit we are now our home contery Ghana.
My sister applied 8 times, she has high school diploma, married with 3 boys under 18but she was never selected, any tricks that can help her.she is very smart and a very hard worker
No tricks, No gimmicks, these people dont take any BS either. Millions of people apply but only about 50,000 are taken. So the trick here is to probably get as many of your relatives to apply, so that if you miss out, someone else may get it and you can assist each other. If you are computer savvy, help them fill out the forms, if you take good pictures help them or if not and if you happen to know a good photo studio, take them there. Most people get disqualified just by not following instructions when filling out the application or not taking pictures to their EXACT specifications. Share information about the lottery to all your family, extended family and your neighbors in the 100s or even 1,000s. The lottery is freely given, so freely share! Good Luck!
Hi, I am Samir Yousefy from Afghanistan, I have applied the DV Lottery many times but unfortunately being disqualified. Right now I am living in Turkey with my wife and our 10 months old son and we have refugee Status here in UNHCR-Ankara. These people are not processing our Asylum-Case-Application it has been 2 years we have submitted our Case still no update from them.
So, Are we eligible to Apply the DV Lottery or not?
Because we are not in our own country can we apply for the DV Lottery or not?
I have done my Bachelore in B.Com and specialized in Cost Accounting from Pune International University of India. I have 5 years international experience in Hotel Management and in financial functions. My wife is an Artist but unfortunately she couldn't complete her University due the security reasons and issues which we facing in our homeland Afghanistan. But she has a High School Diploma+2 years of Arts Institute Certifacte from Afghanistan Arts Institute.
Can we Apply for the DV Lottery or not????
Thanks need your help and information.
Please if my date of birth change can you allow me
Can I apply without a passport?
I applied once and got the lottery in 2001,try your luck nothing to lose.
Can ur spouse apply as a primary entrant and place u under her application and u too do the same process and place her under ur application?. Could that be a double entries?
Can I be selected if am a second year in college
Yes you can! I applied when I was in my third year of college and won . Once I got my visa I took a semester of school came to the US and got my paper work processed. Once I got the actual green card I flew back yo Kenya and completed my degree, then flew back to the US. If you win you'll have the option to go back and complete your degree or continue in the US, though that may be tricky.
I like the advise & how pple want to know.
Is it possible to apply when am not in Kenya like middle east
My passport is expiring in a few months. Should i get a new one before i apply? What happens if i applied with this one, won the lottery but my passport expired in the meantime?
I'm divorced and my ex-wife refuses to let me see my son, who has almost 4 years old. It's been more than one year since the last time I saw him. So I don't have a clear picture of him. I don't have any picture actually. What should I do? Because I want to register in the US lottery, but they will force me to upload a picture of my son, which there is no way to get it.
Kindly advise
Apply as single and if you happen to win and go to the US, you can sponsor your son later to come live with you.