What is a diversity visa?
A Diversity Visa (DV), commonly known as the DV Lottery, is a U.S. government program that provides permanent resident visas (Green Cards) to individuals from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States. The goal of the program is to diversify the immigrant population in the U.S.
Key Aspects of the Diversity Visa Program:
- Eligibility:
- Applicants must be from a qualifying country (countries with low immigration rates to the U.S.). If a country has sent more than 50,000 immigrants to the U.S. in the past five years, its citizens are generally ineligible.
- Applicants must meet education or work experience requirements:
- Have a high school education or its equivalent (at least 12 years of education), or
- Have two years of work experience in a job that requires at least two years of training or experience.
- Application Process:
- The application is done online through the U.S. Department of State’s official website. It typically opens once a year, and the application period is usually about a month long.
- The process involves random selection (a lottery) from the pool of applicants. Being selected does not guarantee a visa, as applicants must still meet eligibility requirements and go through an interview process.
- Visa Issuance:
- If selected, applicants will receive an opportunity to apply for a Green Card. They must pass a medical exam and an interview with a consular officer.
- If approved, the applicant and their immediate family (spouse and children under 21) will be granted a permanent resident visa.
- Annual Quota:
- The U.S. government issues a limited number of 55,000 diversity visas each year.
- The visas are distributed by region and country, and a certain number of visas are reserved for people from each eligible region to ensure diversity in immigration.
- Green Card Benefits:
- A Diversity Visa allows individuals to become lawful permanent residents of the U.S. and provides many of the same rights as U.S. citizens, such as the ability to live, work, and study in the U.S.
- After holding a Green Card for five years, individuals may apply for U.S. citizenship.
- No Cost to Apply:
- The application for the DV Lottery is free of charge. However, there are fees associated with the visa application process once selected.
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Important Notes:
- Beware of Scams: There are many fraudulent websites and agencies claiming to help with DV Lottery applications for a fee. The U.S. government does not charge a fee for applying to the Diversity Visa program, and applicants should always use the official government website to apply.
- DV Lottery Selection: Winning the DV Lottery is random, and there is no guarantee of selection. Even if selected, applicants must meet all the requirements, including a successful interview and medical examination, to receive a visa.
The Diversity Visa program is a significant pathway for many individuals seeking to immigrate to the United States, as it gives people from underrepresented countries a chance to become U.S. permanent residents.
Program DV-2026: Online Enrollment.
DV-2026 Program: The DV-2026 Program accepts online registration starting at 12:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (GMT-4) on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, and ending at 12:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST) (GMT-5) on Thursday, November 7, 2024. If an individual submits more than one entry within the registration period, all of their entries will be disqualified.
Program Instructions for DV-2026
The only official version of the DV-2026 Program Instructions is the English version in PDF format. This website will be updated with unofficial translations in other languages as they become available.
Note: As stated in the guidelines, certain nations include dependent areas and components abroad for eligibility purposes. Please choose the relevant country of eligibility if you are a native of a dependent or overseas territory. For instance, Martinique inhabitants should choose France, and Macau S.A.R. natives should choose Portugal.