The Diversity Visa Lottery Program

Each year, the U.S. Department of State holds a lottery program (the "DV visa lottery" or "diversity lottery") in which it issues 50,000 immigrant visas to nationals of certain countries. Winners of the diversity lottery program are granted a green card to live and work in the United States, and are entitled to bring their spouse and unmarried children under twenty-one to the United States.

Important Points About Applying for the DV Lottery

• The Diversity Lottery Program runs from October to December each year. Determine whether you or your spouse is a native of a country eligible to participate, or if your parent was born in one of those countries.
• You must have a high school diploma or equivalent, or two years of work experience in the past five years in a job requiring at least two years of training or experience.
• There are no filing fees (note, however, that there will be visa issuance fees if you are selected as a lottery winner).
• Registration instructions are available online.

Please also visit the rest of our website to see other ways to obtain a green card to live in the United States.