How to win the Green Card Lottery

Let us explain, how to win the Green Card Lottery so you can live and work in the United States.

The Green Card Lottery Program also called the Diversity Immigration Visa Program, is a popular way for eligible people to enter the US legally. Unlike other Green Card routes, it doesn’t require you to have a US-based sponsor.

However, getting your application correct is vital if you want a chance of getting a Green Card. So, to help you out, here are some tips on how to win the Green Card Lottery.

What is the Green Card Lottery?

The Green Card Lottery is part of the US Diversity Visa Program. It is conducted every year as a way to ensure immigrants to the USA are suitably diverse, rather than coming solely from the “standard” countries.

The number of visas to be awarded is subject to change and depends on the decision of the government authorities, which will be considered binding and final.

On average, the US government awards up to 55,000 Green Cards every year under this initiative. Eligible countries must not have sent more than 50,000 immigrants to the US in the previous 5 years. As such, the list changes regularly, so it’s worth keeping an eye on the qualifying country list to see if your country has qualified for the next Green Card Lottery.

Also, no country can receive more than 7% of the total wins in the Green Card Lottery. So, even if you follow all the tips on how to win the Green Card Lottery, there’s still an element of chance, particularly if your country has sent a lot of applications this year.

The chances of winning Green Card Lottery by country change yearly. If you’re curious about how many were selected from your country in previous years, then check out the latest 12 years of Electronic Diversity Immigrant Visa Program Statistics.

How to win the Green Card Lottery (Eligibility Criteria)

If you are also aspiring to acquire a Green Card then it is important to understand how to win the Green Card Lottery. The first thing is to check is whether you’re eligible to enter.

The application for the lottery procedure requires fulfilling the following two eligibility criteria:

1) The Diversity Visa Program has prepared a list of eligible countries. The natives (not citizens) of these countries will be allowed to submit their applications for the lottery this year.

2) The applicant must either have acquired the educational qualification up to high school i.e. 10+2 or equivalent from a recognized and affiliated institution. In the event of not having the requisite degree, the applicant must within the past five years, have two years of work experience in an occupation requiring at least two years of training or experience. Check if your occupation or work experience qualify for the Diversity Visa Program on O*NET OnLine

Unlike other Green Card applications, the lottery is intentionally fairly relaxed. It’s designed to include as many people as possible, even those who might not fall into specialist worker categories.

This is because it’s designed to improve the country’s diversity. So, it’s not necessary to have a highly specialized career if you’re considering how to win the Green Card Lottery.

Green Card Lottery Application Process

Much like the eligibility criteria, applying for the Green Card Lottery isn’t particularly difficult. That said, it’s surprisingly easy to mess up your application, which would result in you missing out completely on this year’s draw.

You must enter the lottery program by submitting the Electronic Diversity Visa Entry Form filled out with the correct details to US Green Card Office online (There are no provisions for submitting an application in the paper format.)

The application form includes some reasonably standard questions and requires you to submit your nationality and native country information. You’ll also need to upload a 50x50mm US Passport-standard photograph, which is where many people fail. In fact, the vast majority of rejected forms are because of issues with the attached photo not following the stringent photo guidelines.

You must submit a recently taken high-resolution digital photo along with your application. Please only submit color photographs with a light background with your head facing straight at the camera. All information about photo requirements will be available to you within your account when you have applied and paid your Green Card Application fee. They are several Green Card application plans to choose from, depending on if you are single or married. Remember, you can add children under the age of 21 to the application free of charge.

The US Government reserves the right to cancel the candidature in the event of submission of more than one form for a single candidate. So, always make sure you only submit one application for yourself each year.

If you are married, the US Green Card Office will also submit an application in your spouse’s name, giving you and your family a double chance of being selected.

Once your application is successfully registered, you will be given a unique confirmation number that you should keep in print format for further references. Always submit a valid email address for further communication and updates from the authorities. You can periodically check your entrant status using your customer number issued by US Green Card Office when you applied.

Important thinks to now about how to win the Green Card Lottery

So, based on the process detailed above, how do you win the Green Card Lottery?

Well, as with all lotteries, there will always be an element of chance. Even so, there are a few things you can do to improve your chances of winning. These include:

Be Aware, a correct and up-to-date application photo is crucial.

We can’t stress this enough: please make sure your uploaded photo meets the strict criteria. The US Government uses your photograph to ensure you are the right person when attending the Visa Interview in the American Embassy. You must read and understand the photo guidelines within your account before uploading your photo. The rules are similar to US Standard Passport photos, and you’ll need to follow them just as closely. Over 65% of all applicants are disqualified for failing to submit a valid photo each year. But don’t worry; we are here to help, and should you upload a photo that the US Government cannot approve, we will let you know in advance and explain how to upload a new photo that can be approved before your application is submitted.

As mentioned, you will get access to a full list of requirements from the US Green Card Office when you submit your application. Follow them and we’ll double-check your photograph when you have uploaded it. This way, you’ll always submit an eligible photograph and won’t have to waste time on a rejected application.

Always double-check the information on your application.

Similarly, make sure all the information you submit is correct and accurate. This might seem obvious, but it’s easy to make a silly mistake or miss out on a piece of information. Take your time filling in the online application and even get someone to proofread it if you think it’s worth it.

Make sure to submit valid un-expired passport information.

Within the Green Card Application account, all applicants must submit their passport information to avoid fraudulent submitted applications. We also encouraged all applicants to upload a copy of their passport so we can doublecheck the information provided is correct before the application is submitted to the Diversity Visa Program

How long does it take to get Green Card after winning DV Lottery.

Like any other Green Card application to the United States, there’s no fast track. It does take time to get through all the 16 Green Card Application Steps before you finally receive your Green Card in the United States, but don’t worry; we will assist you with the entire process. All steps are essential, which is all the more reason why you should always use the Immigration Service from US Green Card Office to avoid your application being disqualified.

Applying through US Green Card Office is your best chance.

Now that you know how to win the Green Card Lottery, your next step is to submit an application and let the US Green Card Office do the rest. If you still need a little more information about why it is so important to use a professional immigration service to assist you and your family with your application, we would recommend you look at our Comparison Chart & Green Card Lottery explainer video.

Below some of most asked questions from our applicants world wide.