Do I Qualify For The American Green Card Lottery?
The American Green Card Lottery program provides a wonderful opportunity to immigrants to obtain permanent legal resident status in the U.S. A green card gives you legal residence status in the US. With a green card, you can enter, work and live permanently in the US. There are different ways to get a green card and the American green card lottery program is one among those.
This program is conducted every year and 50,000 green cards are issued. You should meet certain eligibility requirements. The main eligibility requirement is that you should be from a qualifying country as not all countries are eligible. The eligibility country is the same as your country of birth and is not related to where you live. The other requirement is that you should have at least a high school education or its equivalent.
The visas are divided among six geographic regions, with a larger share going to regions with lower rates of immigration to the US. Countries that sent more than 50,000 immigrants to the US in the last five years do not qualify for the current year's program. Within each of the six regions, no single country will receive more than seven percent of the available visas in any one year.
Individuals submitting more than one entry will be disqualified. But a couple can each submit one entry if each meet the needed requirements for the lottery program. If you do not qualify through your country, you can apply if your spouse is from a qualifying country. If selected, the couple have to enter the US together. All the children under 21 listed in your application can accompany you to the US. Another option is that you can also qualify through the country of birth of either of your parents as long as neither of your parents was a resident of an ineligible country at the time of your birth.
The American Green Card Lottery Process
All the applications will be separately numbered at the Kentucky Consular Center. From the available entries, a computer will randomly select for each geographic region.
Currently, you should go to the E-DV website Entry Status Check to find out if you have been selected or not. If you are selected, you will be notified of the selection through the Entry Status Check at the E-DV website. If selected, you will be directed to a confirmation page that will provide further instructions, including information on fees. Entry Status Check will be the ONLY way through which you will be notified of your selection. The Kentucky Consular Center will neither mail out notification letters nor email. Even if you are not selected, you will be notified of your non-selection through the web-based Entry Status Check.
Once selected, you have to pay all diversity and immigrant visa fees in person at the US embassy or Consulate at the time of visa application. If you are selected and currently in the US, you can apply for adjustment of status for permanent residence. The application has to to be filed with the USCIS.
