The US Green Card Lottery, officially known as the Diversity Visa (DV) Program, allows up to 50, 000 people to be randomly granted visas. The program allows these lottery winners to work and live in the United States permanently. The program is available every year and can be a simple way to get a green card or visa. If you qualify for the DV program and wish to move to the US, it makes sense to apply. You have nothing to lose and you might end up winning a green card.
To apply for the program, you must apply electronically through the State Department dedicated website (http://www.dvlottery.state.gov/). It is important to note that not everyone qualifies to take part in the green card lottery. The Diversity Visa program was created as part of the Immigration and Nationality Act and was designed to add more diversity to the immigration patterns of the US. For this reason, the program limits who can enter the program. Every year, only those applicants from countries which are underrepresented in US immigration are allowed to enter. This means that if not many people from your home country immigrate to the US, you may qualify to enter the green card lottery. To find out whether you qualify, visit the Diversity Visa State Department website to find out whether applicants from your country qualify this year. The lottery is held each year and the countries included do change, so even if you do not qualify this year, check the State Department website again every year. Your country may eventually be listed as a country that qualifies for the program.
In order to qualify for the green card lottery, you must also meet basic occupational training and education requirements which are present for many immigrants. Again, the State Department has the details which clearly outline whether you are qualified for the program or not. The website will also help you apply for the program easily and quickly if you do qualify.
It is important to note that the State Department is the only legitimate way to apply for the Diversity Visa program. Some companies make the claim that they can increase the chances that someone will be accepted for a green card through the green card lottery program. These companies promise that they can increase your chances if you pay a fee. These claims are absolutely false. The State Government selects qualified candidates at random, so there is no way to increase your chances of getting a green card through this program. However, you can apply every year that your home country is listed on the list of eligible countries.