Want a green card? Feeling lucky?
Play the lottery, not the Powerball, but the DV 2015 Diversity Lottery.
Beginning noon (EDT), October 1, 2013, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) will accept electronically submitted entries for nationals of countries under-represented in the US to obtain DV immigrant visas to come to the US as permanent residents. The DV 2105 Lottery closes at noon (EDT) November 2, 2013. It is 2013...no paper entries will be accepted. Entrants will receive an entrant number, lottery ticket, can check their status and winners will be notified if their entry has been chosen beginning May 1, 2014. It is important to note that there is only ONE ENTRY per person.
Not everyone may enter this Congressionally mandated lottery and with Congress considering comprehensive immigration reform, this could be one of the last times the DV lottery is conducted. But, to be eligible to apply one must be a native of a country from which fewer than 50,000 immigrants have come to the US over the last 5 years. The list of eligible and ineligible countries is found on the DV lottery site at www.travel.state.gov/visa /immigrants/types. There, will also be found the instructions and FAQs.
The DV 2015 requirements and application are relatively simple for an immigration process. There is no age limit. The successful entrant must have qualifying work or education or work experience and other requirements. The required education is a high school education or the equivalent or 2 years of work experience within the past 5 years in an occupation requiring at least 2 years of training or experience. The FAQs provide guidance as to these qualifications and other details and definitions.
Winners are selected at random. Winning spots are distributed among six geographic regions, with a greater number of visas going to those from regions with lower rates of immigration. Up to 55,000 DV, diversity visas, are available annually—at least for now. The program's rules are strictly enforced and must be complied with strictly.
The State Department warns that that there are fraudulent websites posing as the Department of State and claiming that for a fee they can enhance one's chance of winning DV 2015. DV 2015 applicants should be wary of such scams. There is no fee to enter the lottery.
As the saying goes, you need to play to win. Good luck!
Robert S. Whitehill is the Chair of the Immigration Practice Group at Fox Rothschild LLP.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.