ATTENTION: Time is Running Out to Win One of 55,000 Green Cards

The U.S. Department of State has announced that registration is open for the Diversity Visa Program for Fiscal Year 2022 (DV-2022). This program is commonly referred to as the Visa Lottery and is especially popular because a U.S. sponsor (i.e., a family member or employer) is not required. The program will give up to 55,000 green cards in fiscal year 2022 or October 1, 2021-September 30, 2022. There is no cost for entering and the winners will be randomly selected. Entries must be submitted electronically by Tuesday, November 10, 2020, at 12:00 pm EST and can only be submitted through the Electronic Diversity Visa Program.

For the 2022 Visa Lottery, aliens who are otherwise eligible may enter as long as they were not born in any of the following counties: Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (including Hong Kong SAR), Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, and Vietnam. However, aliens born in Macau SAR and Taiwan remain eligible. Also, aliens born in one of the excluded countries may still be able to enter the Visa Lottery through cross chargeability if either their spouse’s country of birth is not one of the excluded countries and their spouse is listed on their entry and will immigrate at the same time OR if both of the alien’s parents were neither born in or a resident of the alien’s country of birth at the time of their birth and one of their parent’s country of birth is not an excluded country.

One requirement for DV entrants is that, at the time of DV entry, the DV applicant must have at least a high school or high school equivalent education. Alternatively, the alien can fulfill this requirement by having at least two years of work experience in the last five year that falls into an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience based on the O*Net Online database.

The official DV-2022 instructions explain in detail how to apply, who qualifies, and answers frequently asked questions. There are also several unofficial translations available through the website. It is important to note that applicants generally must also have a valid, unexpired passport at the time of DV entry.

Aliens may apply regardless of whether they are outside or inside the U.S. Entering the Visa Lottery more than once during the registration period will lead to disqualification. It is VERY important to remember to save the confirmation page containing your name and unique confirmation number upon entering as the information on the page is required for accessing the online system to see your status. YOU will need to check your status and whether you were selected, the U.S. government will not notify you. In the case that you win the DV Lottery and your number is selected, you must also have been issued your Immigrant Visa or have your I-485 approved by September 30, 2022 to successfully obtain a green card based on winning the DV lottery.

Last year there were 6,741,128 qualified entries or 11,830,707 foreign nationals including family members. The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs has published the following advice for applicants in its Twitter account:

Don’t reuse photos submitted in previous DV program entries. Photos submitted must have been taken within the last six months.
Keep the confirmation number at the end of the registration. This number will be used to access the status of the application beginning May 8, 2021.
Include spouse and unmarried children under 21 years old in the application, even if they will not travel with the principal applicant.

You may wish to consult with an immigration attorney when entering and/or upon being selected in the Visa Lottery. Attorney Carcagno handles applications for U.S. Lawful Permanent Residency based on the DV lottery and offers a free initial intake consultation. You may contact her at (734) 999-0360 or book your appointment online for this free consultation.

***Please keep in mind that this blog posting is for educational purposes only (i.e., to give you general information and a general understanding of this immigration related matter); this blog posting does not provide specific legal advice and does not form an attorney-client relationship.***

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