Diversity Immigrant
Visa Program
The US Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV-Program) seeks to further diversify the population of the United States by offering a Diversity Immigrant Visa and Permanent Resident Green Card to individuals born in countries with historically low levels of immigration to the USA who also satisfy the education or work experience requirement and are selected to continue the US immigration process.
Up to 55,000 US Diversity Visas and Green Cards are granted each year to DV-Program selectees and their eligible family members who complete the consular procedure successfully.
US Green Card holders can live, study and work in the USA for an unlimited time period and receive many privileges, including the option to apply for American citizenship after living in the US for five years and meeting other eligibility requirements.
DV-Program Requirements
BIRTH COUNTRY REQUIREMENT – One of the DV-Program requirements is for the main applicant* to be born in a country whose natives are eligible to participate as listed by the US State Department prior to the annual registration period usually held in October. The US State Department normally posts lists of the ineligible and eligible countries online near the end of September.
EDUCATION/WORK EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT – Another DV-Program requirement is for the main applicant to have completed a minimum of 12 years of formal primary and secondary education OR two years of full-time work experience during the previous five years in an eligible occupation listed by the US Department of Labor as Special Vocational Preparation (SVP) level 7.0 or above (which requires at least two years of experience or training to perform).
* In the event that the main applicant satisfies the Diversity Visa Program education or work experience requirement, but was not born in an eligible country, he or she may still be able to participate in the DV-Program under one of these scenarios:
- His or her spouse was born in an eligible country, is included in the main applicant’s DV-Program Application, and the main applicant provides the explanation for « alternative chargeability » in question #6 of his/her DV-Program Application. If the DV-Program Application is selected for further processing, both spouses must be deemed as eligible for US immigration through the DV-Program and issued a Diversity Immigrant Visa following the consular interview, plus both spouses must enter the United States together; OR
- Neither of his or her parents was born in or a « resident » of the main applicant’s country of birth AND at least one of his or her parents was born in an eligible country, and the main applicant provides the explanation for « alternative chargeability » in question #6 of his/her DV-Program Application. In regards to a parent’s residency at the time of the main applicant’s birth, the DV-Program Instructions state: « persons simply visiting, studying, or temporarily working in a country are not generally considered residents. »
Please note that Diversity Immigrant Visa applicants will need to satisfy the security and other criteria, including providing the necessary supporting documents, as well well as paying the relevant government fees, prior to final approval for US immigration.
Procedure Overview
Applications for the Diversity Visa Program can be filed on the US State Department’s E-DV website only during the annual registration period usually held each October.
The DV-Program Application must include the required information and photo for the main applicant and his or her spouse and all unmarried children under 21 years of age (as relevant).
It is important that the information entered in the Diversity Visa Program Application is completed accurately and each photo is provided according to the DV-Program standards, since failure to complete the DV-Program Application correctly can result in disqualification.
Starting in early May of the following year, participants of the DV-Program can check on the US State Department’s E-DV website if they were selected for further processing (DV-Program « winners » will see a Selectee Notification Letter, which includes a 14-character Case Number, that they should print and save for the consular process).
Approximately 100,000 participants of the DV-Program who are randomly selected by computer from six regions of the world for further processing will have the opportunity to continue the US immigration procedure to receive one of the 55,000 Diversity Immigrant Visas and Permanent Resident Green Cards that can be issued each year through the DV-Program.
In order to continue the US immigration process, DV-Program selectees have to file the online Form DS-260 with the US State Department’s Kentucky Consular Center (KCC), which will review the information and decide if the selectee meets the requirements for the consular interview to be scheduled.
Once the consular interview has been scheduled at the US Embassy or Consulate in the selectee’s country of residence, he or she and all family members listed in the DV-Program Application will need to have individual passport-style color photos made according to the official criteria, get a medical exam by an authorized physician, pay the Diversity Visa Application Fee, gather the necessary supporting documents and complete any other tasks required prior to the interview.
The main applicant and all family members listed in the DV-Program Application will attend the consular interview at the American Embassy or Consulate as scheduled, where they will answer questions asked by the US consular official, provide the requested documents for review, and follow the instructions they are given.
At the conclusion of the consular interview, the US consular official will usually inform the applicants if they were approved for immigration to the United States.
If they were approved for US immigration, a Diversity Immigrant Visa will be placed in their valid passports, allowing them to relocate to the United States as Lawful Permanent Residents.
After receiving the Diversity Immigrant Visa, the new US permanent resident will need to enter the United States while the visa is still valid and must also pay the online Immigrant Fee to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) which will send the US Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) to the address in the United States where the new immigrant plans to securely receive his or her Green Card.
NOTE: The Diversity Immigrant Visa, which is placed in an immigrant’s valid passport, is generally valid for up to six months to allow him or her to enter the United States, whereas the US Permanent Resident Green Card, which is carried long-term by immigrants living in the United States as a form of official identification, is usually valid for 10 years and can be renewed indefinitely for 10 years each time.
Benefits of Permanent Residency
The benefits of being a permanent resident of the United States include:
- Ability to live in the United States for as long as desired
- Being able to legally work in the United States
- Access to US education programs
- Possessing freedoms protected by federal, state and local laws
- Being allowed to apply for a driving license in the state of residence
- Permission to open a bank account in the USA
- Authorization to travel out of the US and return
- Option to open a business in the United States
- Opportunity to buy a house in the USA
- Being able to invite family members to apply for a US Green Card
- American citizenship may be available after 5 years of residence and fulfilling additional criteria
The United States is known worldwide for its strong economy, prosperity, quality education, beautiful scenery, multicultural society, and many opportunities for people seeking a better future. Americans enjoy a high quality of life and this is why millions of foreigners are interested in immigrating to the United States. Employment-Based Immigrant Visas and Green Cards provide skilled immigrants with the opportunity to live and work in the USA as well as to enjoy many of the same benefits that American citizens do.
