Each year, 55,000 immigrant visas are made available through a Diversity Visa Lottery to natives of countries with low rates of immigration to the United States.
The US Department of State selects applications randomly from all qualified entries.
When are applications accepted?
Diversity Visa Lottery entries for the upcoming federal fiscal year can be submitted from October 2, 2024, at 12:00 noon, Eastern Daylight Time, until November 7, 2024, at 12:00 noon, Eastern Standard Time.
Who can apply for a Diversity Visa?
Natives of the following countries are not eligible to apply for permanent resident status through the Diversity Visa Lottery: Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, The People’s Republic of China (including mainland and Hong Kong born), Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Korea (South Korea), Venezuela, and Vietnam. Natives of Macau SAR and Taiwan are eligible.
A lottery applicant must possess a valid and unexpired passport as well as either a high school diploma or two years of qualifying work experience within the past five years.
Please note that spouses can each file a lottery application if they each meet the eligibility requirements independently. If one spouse is selected, both will be eligible for green cards, as will all their minor children.
A “winner” can save his/her employer significant time, money, and aggravation by avoiding the normal green card process. Applicants currently possessing H or L visas need not worry about concurrently stating immigrant and nonimmigrant intent. Applicants currently possessing other types of visas should review this issue carefully before applying for the lottery.
How can one apply for the Diversity Lottery?
Foreign nationals eligible and interested in applying can find additional information on the State Department’s Diversity Visa Lottery website, including the Lottery Entry Form that must be completed online. There is no cost for foreign nationals to register for the Diversity Visa Lottery.
Entrants will be able to check the status of their applications and determine if they have been selected beginning May 3, 2025.
What happens after an applicant receives a lottery selection?
A lottery applicant selected in the Diversity Visa Lottery will be given the opportunity to apply for permanent residence on his/her own behalf and on behalf of his/her spouse and any unmarried children under the age of 21.
If selected in the lottery, the applicant must pay the required visa fees as part of the application and interview process.
If permanent residence is granted (i.e., the issuance of a “green card”) to a lottery winner, the lottery winner will be authorized to live and work permanently in the United States.