This powerpoint presentation explains the Diversity Visa Lottery Program that provides 50,000 green cards for applicants around the world in a random selection process. We review the criteria required to qualify for the lottery program for immigrants interested in applying for US permanent residency through the Diversity Visa Program.

1. The Diversity Lottery Program
October 10, 2013
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2. Outline
• What is the Diversity Lottery?
• Who Qualifies?
• Procedure for Filing
Today’s Dialogue Map…

3. Diversity Lottery
• Congressionally mandated program
• Immigrants from countries with historically low
rates of immigration to the US
• 50,000 visas available
• Lottery entry dates: Oct. 1, 2013 through noon,
Eastern Daylight Time on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013.

4. Evidence of meeting requirements is not submitted with
entry. Evidence submitted later after selection.
1. Country of Birth
•Must be born in eligible country
OR
•Spouse born in eligible country
OR
•1 or both parents were born in country eligible in year you
are applying
Eligibility

5. 2. Education or Work Experience
•High School Education--successful completion of 12 year
course of elementary and secondary education comparable
to US high school education. Correspondence/equivalency
courses do not count. Must be formal course study.
OR
•2 Years work experience within past 5 years in qualifying
occupation. The Dept. of State uses O*Net Online
Database. Occupation must be designated job zone 4 or 5
with SVP of 7.0 or greater. Examples: Secondary School
Teacher qualifies. Police Officer does not.
Eligibility

6. • Must be submitted electronically (If not completed within
certain amount of time, must start over)
• Digital Photo must be submitted as well. (If digital photo
not accepted, may have to start over.)
• Between noon EDT 10/1/2013 and noon EDT 11/2/2013
• Disqualified if more than 1 entry submitted
• No charge to submit entry
• Enter at www.dvlottery.state.gov
• Be sure that you receive confirmation page and print it
out. You must have Conf # to check the results.
Submitting your Entry

7. Selection
• Selection is made randomly by computer.
• Notification of selection is NOT sent out by email
for mail. Beware of scams!
• Notification online “Entrant Status Check”
Starting May 1, 2014: check entry by going to
www.dvlottery.state.gov You must have
confirmation number to check status.

8. After Selection
• Entrant Status Check will provide further
instructions as to the rest of the process. (Spouse
and children under 21 are included.)
• Most selectees reside abroad and will process
through the National Visa Center and local US
Embassy.
• Selectees residing in the US can process through
USCIS by filing adjustment of status (Note that
most selectees who are out of status cannot be
approved.)

9. Obtaining Visa or AOS
• Selectees can apply for visa numbers between
Oct. 1, 2014 and Sept. 30, 2015.
• A visa number must be available before a
selectee can be granted an immigrant visa or
have status adjusted. The monthly DOS Visa
Bulletin shows available visa number by lottery
rank and region.

10. Obtaining Visa or AOS
Not all selectees will get a green card.
– More than 50,000 people will be selected, but only
50,000 visas can be granted. The numbers can run
out.
– Some selectees will not be “admissible” to the US.
– Some selectees will not be able to prove that they
meet the requirements (eligible country/work or
education)
– All paperwork must be complete by 9/30/2015. Some
in the process will not make this deadline.

11. All selectees and dependents must be issued visas or
have status adjusted by midnight September 30,
2015.
Deadline for Visa or AOS

12. Questions for us?

13. Thank you for attending.
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