Frequently Asked Green Card Questions


Moving to the United States is, for most, a big decision. Therefore, it’s crucial to be well prepared when you apply for the Diversity Visa Program in the United States. We have made a list below of the most common questions we get from our applicants from all over the world. If you can’t find your answer below, we have a vast knowledge database where you can search and find most answers related to the Green Card Program. If you can’t find your answer, you are always welcome to contact our support directly by submitting a support ticket. Our immigration team is ready to assist you 365 days a year, and most support tickets are answered within a few hours. We are here to help you, live your dream, and move to the United States.

What is a Green Card?

A Green Card is a Permanent Residence Visa of the United States. As a Green Card holder, you get the legal rights to live and work permanently in the United States. Green Card holders receive health, education, and several other benefits while living in the USA. Applicants winning a Green Card may apply for U.S. Citizenship five years after obtaining the Green Card. As a Green Card holder, you must have physically lived in the United States for at least 30 months out of those five years to be considered for U.S. citizenship. The Green Card does not affect your present citizenship. You and your family could be lucky winners if you apply for the Diversity Visa Program, also known as the Green Card Lottery. Don't miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Get your Green Card application submitted today.

Who is eligible to apply for the Green Card Lottery?

An applicant must be a native of an eligible country. Please check the qualifying country list before you apply. Secondly, an applicant must either have a high school education or equivalent or two years of work experience within the past five years in an occupation requiring at least two years of training or experience. Please also read the requirements for education and work experience below.

If you do not meet the above requirements, you should NOT submit an application to the Diversity Visa Lottery program.

You are eligible wherever you live, and you do not have to speak English. Also, you do not need a sponsor or have relatives in the United States. You can submit an application as long as you have a strong economy and will be able to take care of yourself in the United States.

What are the requirements for education or work experience?

U.S. law and regulations require that every applicant must have at least a high school education or its equivalent. Or, within the past five years, have two years of work experience in an occupation requiring at least two years of training or experience. A "high school education or equivalent" is defined as successful completion of a twelve-year course of elementary and secondary education in the United States or successful completion in another country of a formal study of elementary and secondary education comparable to high school education in the United States. Documentary proof of education or work experience should not be submitted online when applying for the Diversity Visa Lottery. Still, it must be presented to the immigration officer in the American Embassy at the time of the immigrant visa interview. To check if your occupation or work experience qualifies for the Diversity Visa Program, please visit www.onetonline.org

Must I re-apply every year for the Green Card Lottery to be considered?

The US Immigration law specifies that applicants must submit a new application each year. When you apply, you will have the option to choose a one-year or a two-year submission. If you select the two-year submission, your second year will automatically be submitted if your application is not selected the first year. However, it's crucial to note application photo(s) should be updated each year. Therefore, if your application is not selected for the first year, you must upload a new and fresh photo(s) for your second-year submission.

How is the term "native" defined? Are there any bases upon which persons who have not been born in a qualifying country may be eligible to enter?

"Native" ordinarily means someone born within a particular country, regardless of the individual's current country of residence or nationality. According to Section 202(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, if a person was born in an ineligible country, but their spouse was born in an eligible country, such person can claim the spouse's country of birth rather than their own. For example, a person born in an excluded country such as Mexico may still apply if their spouse was born in a qualifying country. Also, if a person was born in an ineligible country, but neither of their parents was born there or resided there at the time of the birth, such person may be able to claim nativity in one of the parent's countries of birth. For example, if one of your parents was born in France and the other was born in Germany, and you were born in Canada while your parents were visiting Canada but had not established residency in Canada, you could claim France or Germany as your Native qualifying country.

Why do certain countries not qualify for the Diversity Visa Program?

Diversity visas are intended to provide an immigration opportunity for persons from countries other than the primary source of immigration to the United States of America. The law states that no Diversity Visas shall be provided for "high admission" countries, that is, countries from which there were more than 50.000 immigrants in the Family-Sponsored and Employment-Based visa categories during the previous five years. The list of countries, which do not qualify for the Green Card Lottery, is subject to change from one year to the next. So before you apply, always check the qualifying country list on our website.

Is each applicant limited to only one application in the Green Card Lottery?

Yes, if otherwise qualified, a husband and a wife may submit one Green Card Lottery application each. If you receive a Green Card through the lottery, your spouse and unmarried children under 21 will simultaneously get Green Cards. Unmarried children under 21 may be included on each of their parents' application forms. All children over 21 years of age must file separate applications. When submitting your application via the US Green Card office, we will automatically submit individual applications for you and your spouse to double your chances of winning.

Is there a minimum age to apply for the Green Card Lottery?

There is no minimum age to apply for the Green Card Lottery. However, the requirement of a high school education or work experience for each principal applicant at the time of visa issuance will effectively disqualify most persons who are under age 18.

How does the Green Card Lottery work?

At the National Visa Center, all entries received will be separated into one of six geographic regions and individually numbered. After the end of the application period, a computer will randomly select cases from among all the mail received for each geographic region. Within each region, the first letter randomly selected will be the first case registered, the second letter selected for the second registration, etc. When a case has been registered, the applicant will immediately be sent a notification letter by the US Green Card Office, which will provide appropriate visa application instructions. US Green Card Office will assist all winners in submitting the DS-260 form and preparing for the visit interview at the American Embassy. Using the professional immigration service from US Green Card Office will ensure your application is not disqualified and you are well prepared for the Visa Interview, therefore, giving you and your family the best chance of getting Green Cards to the United States of America. We are here to make your dream come through.

How would I know if I win the Green Card Lottery?

Applicants will be selected at random by computer from among all qualified entries. All winners will be notified directly by US Green Card Office by mail at the address listed on their application. The notifications will be sent to the winners in May each year, along with instructions on how to submit the DS-260 form online before a Visa interview can be scheduled at the US Embassy. Applicants not selected will also be notified via email with instructions on how to upload a new photo(s) for the second-year submission or how to reapply for the next program. You do not need to check if you are selected as we will contact you directly. However, you may check if your application is selected on the US government website using your unique personal confirmation number that you will find within your Green Card Application Account.

May persons who are already living in the United States apply?

Yes, an applicant may apply if already living or visiting the United States. If you’re legally in the United States, you may apply no matter what visa you hold.

May persons who are already registered for an immigrant visa in another Visa category apply?

Yes, such persons may apply. Applying for the Diversity Visa Program will not affect any other Visa that is pending or already issued to the applicant.

What are my chances of winning the Green Card Lottery?

The winning chances cannot be determined at this time, as it would depend on the number of applications to be submitted this year. However, we recommend you look at our chance of winning page, which will give you a better understanding of your chance of winning a Green Card for the United States of America.

Where is the diversity Immigrant Visa Lottery held?

The program is held and monitored by the National Visa Center in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, USA

What is the cost of entering the Green Card Lottery?

The US Green Card Office processing fee is $80.00 for a single application and $120.00 for a family application. The family application includes two separate submissions giving a married couple a double chance of being selected. Children under the age of 21 can be added free of charge on any application submitted by the parent. Applicants under the age of 21 may submit an independent application if they qualify under the aforementioned requirements. The processing fee of the US Green Card Office includes the Visa interview fee and all other government fees.

What do the Airline Tickets and Moving Cost insurance include?

Airline Tickets Paid: If you order this service from US Green Card Office and your application is selected, all your flight expenses will be paid when moving to the United States. Moving Cost Paid: If you order this service from US Green Card Office and your application is selected, all your moving expenses will be paid when moving to the United States.