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If you are looking for a chance to gain permanent residency in the United States, the diversity visa program is the best way. This program aims to diversify the immigrant population by issuing visas to people from countries where few immigrants have come to the United States in the past if they meet the eligibility criteria. Contact Kats Immigration Law to find out more about this program and how to do everything right and plan accordingly. Alina Kats and her team of best rated immigration lawyers in NYC focus on identifying the best strategies that improve your chances of submitting a successful entry to the green card lottery and help you migrate to the United States.
The diversity visa program is a vital part of the immigration system which opens the doors of a better life to millions of people from different parts of the world. With the help of this program, they can apply for a green card and become citizens of the Unites States in the long run.
Also called the Green Card Lottery, this program promotes and protects diversity in the US immigration system. This not only extends opportunity to aspiring immigrants but also plays a vital role in developing economy and communities. Since 1995, more than 1.2 million diversity visa recipients as well as their families have migrated to the United States through this program. For employers it is a golden chance to acquire the best talent and enhance diversity in the workplace.
The diversity visa program provides once in a lifetime opportunity to individuals from countries with relatively lower levels of immigration to the United States to apply for a green card. It is an initiative by the US government that opens the doors to educated, talented and hardworking people from around the world and gives them a chance to build their future here.
Through the diversity visa program, visas are awarded randomly to people from countries with historically low immigration rates to the United States. Individuals and families can get permanent residency in the US even if they don’t have family or employment ties.
About 55,000 diversity visas are available every year. Data shows that more than 9.5 million registrations were submitted for principal applicants in the diversity visa program for Fiscal Year 2023. Due to the high volume of applications, applicants are selected through a computer-generated randomized lottery, ensuring fairness and equal opportunities for all participating. Successful applicants are invited to formally apply for the visa if abroad or file an adjustment of status application if they are already in the US.
Read on to learn how diversity visa program works, what benefits it offers, if you may be eligible for it, and what you can do to ensure successful entry into the diversity visa lottery program.
The diversity visa program offers a straightforward path to obtaining U.S. Permanent Residence, or a green card to applicants, from countries with low immigration ratio to the United States with specific academic qualifications. Aspiring immigrants can apply for the diversity visa program if they were born in qualifying low-admission states from which fewer than 50,000 immigrants originated in the past 5 years.
The State Department issues an updated list annually, which carries the names of countries whose citizens are eligible to apply. Individuals whose parents or spouses belong to the qualifying country can also apply for a diversity visa.
It is important to note that while 50,000 diversity visas are generally available, per-country caps can limit the number of visas issued. This means no more than 7% of visas can be granted to people from a single country every year. Even after they are selected to apply, an individual must pass background checks, submit evidence verifying their academic degrees and work experience, complete the interview with a government office, and be generally admissible under immigration law.
Once approved, the individuals must receive their visas and enter the US or adjust their status from within the US before the end of the fiscal year in which they are approved. If they fail to do so, they may lose their eligibility. They can also apply for their spouses and children to accompany them.
The diversity visa program contributes to the rich cultural fusion of the United States and plays a significant role in boosting the economic landscape of the country. Diversity in classrooms and workplaces fosters a sense of belonging, promotes equality by reducing bias and results in individual as well as team success.
Research shows that diversity is beneficial for the economy and has been associated with increases in wages and productivity for employers. Most diversity visa recipients generally have higher educational qualifications than other immigrants as well as native born Americans and better English proficiency than other American groups. They contribute significantly to the workforce, which benefits the system in the long run.
It also shows that diversity visa recipients have lower levels of unemployment than most other immigrants, have similar wages and enjoy better wage growth afterward. This means they are less likely to be a burden on the system and play a vital role in the US economy.
Experts emphasize that a diversity visa is a critical diplomatic tool that helps the US strengthen its alliances and counter anti-democratic propaganda.
The diversity visa program was created by Congress as part of the Immigration Act of 1990 to promote diversity and extend opportunities to individuals from countries and regions underrepresented in recent immigration admissions. It aimed to implement a preference system to prioritize aspiring immigrants with family ties and employment opportunities in the US already. This program played a vital role in shaping the immigration demographics makeup.
This program underwent some modifications when Congress experimented with a diversity based immigration program to address perceived barriers for immigrants from certain countries in 1980.
However, it continued to welcome immigrants from various parts of the world, particularly Africa and Eastern Europe.
Even though this program has been a crucial part of the US immigration system, it has also been a target for immigration restrictions for years. During the COVID-19 restrictions, due to Trump administration’s travel bans, and processing backlogs, thousands of people were denied this opportunity.
The economic and cultural benefits of the programs combined with an urgent need for the US to increase annual immigration make the diversity visa program the perfect way to invite talented and passionate individuals from all over the world to the US. It is up to Congress to protect and strengthen the diversity visa program as part of efforts to moderate and expand the US immigration system.
You can enter the green card lottery by filling out a simple form online, which does not cost anything, from early October through early November. A computer randomly selects the winners, and they and their immediate families will be eligible to apply for a green card.
What you need to do before applying:
Diversity visa lottery winners are chosen randomly through a computer program. If selected in the green card lottery, you must act fast, although it could take a year or more before you could come to the United States.
The winners of the green card lottery are usually notified 7 months after they have applied. It can take up to 14 months for the government to schedule an interview and issue the visa, depending on how soon you apply for your visa.
For example, if you apply for the 2026 green card lottery during the registration period (Oct-Nov 2024), the winners will be announced sometime in May 2025. You could only apply for your visa during the fiscal year 2026, from Oct. 1, 2025, through Sept. 30, 2026.
You should process your application as soon as you can so your visa can be issued by the end of the fiscal year for which you were selected. As more people are selected for the diversity visa than the visas available, there may be no visas left if you wait till the last minute. The sooner you apply, the sooner you can be scheduled for your interview and receive your visa.
Once you have your visa, you must enter the United States on or before the expiration date on it. A diversity visa is typically valid for up to six months from the date it was issued.
Despite being a competitive process, the diversity visa program is a great option for foreign nationals seeking permanent residence in the United States. Alina Kats has been helping aspiring immigrants for years by making them understand how the process works and what they can do to increase their chances of approval. She answers all your questions and concerns about the diversity visa program or the green card lottery applications and provides personalized services to ensure the best outcomes for you and your family.