USA Visa Lottery Application and Free Registration – Apply Now!

Are you tired of applying for any visa lottery, or have you applied before and you were not given? No need to worry because we have all the necessary things you need to know to apply for the USA Visa Lottery 2022 and be assured that you will be among those that will be given visas to come over to the USA.

USA Visa Lottery

Obtaining visas to the United States of America is not easy due to its strict rules and policies. Though opportunities are always open for foreigners to enter the country for study, work, or visit purposes. For each of the purposes of wanting to enter America, there is a visa for it.

The American government is aware that the country is one of the most sorts after destinations for immigrants, that’s why it seems to have strict rules concerning its immigration policies. These rules tend to favour some countries over others. It is observed that some countries have more immigrants in the United States while some have just a little.

Going by this, the government in an attempt to give equal opportunities to all nations regarding immigration created a policy that favours those countries with little or fewer immigrants in the United States. The policy is called American Visa Lottery.

The program has been on for years, and it is being offered every Fiscal Year. The American Visa Lottery allows you to get the America Green Card which can make you an American permanent resident.

Having said that, we will implore you to sit back and read through this article as it contains a full guide on the USA Visa Lottery 2022 and immigration policies.

What is USA Visa Lottery?

We are going to start with the understanding of the American Lottery Visa and why it is important to you.

American Lottery which is officially called Visa Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV Program) is one of the many ways in which non-citizens can become U.S permanent citizens. It is a free program open for all countries to have a chance to live and work in America permanently.

The program started after the Immigration Act of 1990. It was observed that most of the immigrants in the U.S have come from a particular group of countries, and to break the trend, the act was enacted.

Each year, the U.S. Department of State gives out up to 50,000 visa lottery. They randomly select eligible applicants from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. It is said that no country receives more than 7 per cent of the total available visas each year, which allows it to be evenly distributed, especially for the countries with low immigrants in the U.S.

Who is Eligible for the USA Visa Lottery ?

The DV Program or American Visa Lottery was created to allow all countries to have even representation in the U.S. However, the program has some eligibility criteria. Those eligible to apply for the American Visa Lottery are:

• Citizens of eligible countries: Eligible countries in the context are those countries that have sent less than 50,000 immigrants to America in the past five years.
• Spouse of citizens of an eligible country: If you are legally married to a citizen of an eligible country, you are eligible to apply using marital status.
• Children of citizens of eligible countries but whose parents do not have legal residence in the country of birth of their child(ren)

Eligibility Requirements to Apply for USA Visa Lottery

Being among those who can apply isn’t the only criteria that qualify you for the program, you must also meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Applicants must have at least a high school education.
• Applicants must have at least two years of work experience within the last five years. These jobs must have required a minimum of two years of training.

When to Apply for USA Visa Lottery ?

The State Department is in charge of the DV Program. Generally, the Lottery opens its registration period in early October and closes in early November every Fiscal Year (FY).

Currently, the Lottery is in the Fiscal Year 2023. The DV lottery program will make up to 55,000 green card numbers available through random selection for FY 2023.

Foreign individuals who want to file for the Lottery can start submitting applications online fr October 1, 2022, to the first week of November 2022.

Documents Required to Apply for the USA Visa Lottery

There are a lot of documents to be prepared if you are eligible to apply for the USA Visa Lottery. The major documents are listed below:

Valid Passport: This will serve as your identity and prove that you are from that particular country. It should have six months validity beyond the intended date of entry into the United States.

• Educational qualifications: These documents are part of the eligibility requirements and will be presented during online registration.
• Photographs: Two colored passport-sized photographs which must be identical.
• DS-260 Confirmation Page: This is the form you printed after completing the online registration.
• Appointment Letter: National Visa Center will send you an appointment letter and you are to go with it while attending the interview.
• Proof of Financial Support: It is a requirement to present your financial history as well as proof of support for any applicant relying on you on the visa.
• Medical Exam Results: This must be conducted by an accreditation physician in your country and the report is expected to be sealed in an envelope.
• Supporting Documents: These are original or certified copies of all civil documents like Documentation of Adoption, Birth Certificates, Court and Prison Records, Marriage Certificates, Marriage Termination Documentation, Military Records, and Police Certificate upload. This will be uploaded online, and will also be needed during the interview.

How to Apply for the USA Visa Lottery

Now that you have understood the basics of the DV program, we have now reached the stage where we need to explain how to apply for the American Visa Lottery. The process is a bit complicated but we have done well in simplifying it for you, so here is how to apply for the American Visa Lottery:

Step 1: Enter the Lottery

The first step in applying for the American Visa Lottery is to enter the DV Lottery. This is an online application process through the U.S. Department of State’s website which is https://dvprogram.state.gov/

The portal is always open from early October to early November annually. So, you have to complete the application within this duration if you want to be considered for the program. Once you are done with the online application, print out the Confirmation Page which appears on the screen, and keep it.

Step 2: Check for Selected Applicants

By May through September, you will be able to know if you are selected for the program or note. It is important to note that the State Department will only send notifications to applicants via the official website. You will be given a numerical rank to ascertain that you have been selected for the program. No applicant will receive notification via email or mailbox.

Step 3: Fill for Form DS-260

Once you have been selected for the program, you are to immediately fill out form DS-260 online to schedule an interview appointment at the appropriate U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

Step 4: Submit Supporting Documents

After you have submitted the DS-260 application form, you will receive instruction to submit scanned required supporting documents. You will not be scheduled for an appointment until you have submitted scanned copies of all required supporting documents.

In the situation where you might not be submitting particular required documents, you are to send an explanation of why you cannot obtain the document, as an attachment in .jpeg or .pdf format, to KCCDVDocuments@state.gov, with your case number in the subject line. The original documents should be produced during the interview.

Step 5: Receive Notification for Interview

When your application has been approved, the centre will email you to check the time and date for your interview at the nearest American Embassy or Consulate.  This letter is required to be printed as it will be needed when you visit the Embassy or Consulate for the interview.

Step 6: Paying Visa Application Fees

While you are getting ready for the interview, you are required to pay for the Diversity Visa application. The visa fee is $330, and it is non-refundable. It must be paid before the interview.

Step 7: Prepare Original Copies of the Supporting Documents

As part of the pre-interview activities, you are to ensure that all supporting documents are fully prepared and kept intact. Endeavour to visit the website of the particular American Embassy or Consulate that the interview is scheduled to hold to ascertain the actual documents required. Not preparing well for the interview might result in delay or denial of your visa application.

Step 8: Attend Interview

Proceed to the Embassy or Consulate that the interview is scheduled to hold along with required documents. If your family is included in the visa, you are to go with everyone involved. During the interview, ink-free and digital fingerprint scans will be taken.

Step 9: Wait for Decision on your Application

You will need to wait for some days or weeks to get a notification if your application has been approved or denied. If approved, you will be notified when and how to receive the visa. If the visa is denied, you will also receive notification as to the reason why the visa is denied. However, it is important to note that the visa has like 95% success rate. After receiving the visa, you are now an American permanent resident.

When to Move to the U.S after Receiving the USA Visa Lottery

After receiving the American Visa Lottery, you are to move into the U.S before the expiration date stamped on your visa. The validity of the Diversity Visa is usually 6 months.

All applicants must pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) after receiving the visa and before travelling to the U.S. However, children who enter the United States under the Orphan or Hague adoption programs, Iraqi and Afghan special immigrants, returning residents (SB-1s), and those issued K visas are exempt from this fee.

Things to Avoid When Applying for the USA Visa Lottery

Considering the Visa Lottery is one of the surest ways to become a U.S permanent resident, there to be lots of scams and frauds schemes that you must avoid. The tips to avoid them are enumerated below:

1. Only the State Department website is the official website for the American Visa Lottery program. It doesn’t authorize any other website for the program. So, any website or organization claiming to be giving out Visa Lottery aside from the official one should be avoided.

2. The Visa Lottery entry application fee is free. Never give out a cent to apply for the program.

3. Whenever you might need help if you can get on the website, contact a lawyer or agency that you can trust.

4. Never send money or funds to any questionable source (company or individual)

Conclusion

The USA Visa Lottery or Diversity Visa Program is one of the surest ways to get an American Green Card. The process taken to obtain the visa might be complicated, but we have just provided the full guide needed to get the visa without needing help from anyone. Do well to follow the guidelines provide and apply for your U.S Lottery Visa.

We hope this information was useful, do use the comment box below and also do not forget to share USA Visa Lottery information with your friends and family.