The diversity visa program lottery for foreign nationals who live in eligible countries is currently open for the fiscal year 2019 until Nov. 22, 2017. People who wish to apply so that they can obtain green cards to live and work in Illinois should submit their applications as soon as possible. The program is available to potential immigrants who are from certain underrepresented countries. If they are selected in the lottery, they may receive green cards that allow them to move to and work in the U.S. The best immigration lawyers recommend that people get their applications submitted soon and that they make certain that they are completed correctly.
What Is the Diversity Visa Program?
Established by Congress, the Diversity Visa program is administered by the U.S. Department of State on an annual basis. It is designed to allow people who live in countries with low rates of immigration to the U.S. to participate in a lottery through which they may be granted diversity visas. To participate in the lottery, the applicants must meet eligibility requirements. They must also not be from any country that has been deemed to be ineligible. After a random computer-controlled drawing, 50,000 immigrants are chosen for visas. No specific country may receive any more than 7 percent of the total number of visas that are granted.
Guidelines
People who are from countries from which more than 50,000 immigrants were sent to the U.S. in the last five years are not eligible for the diversity lottery. Applicants must also meet the education or work requirements, including the equivalent of a high school diploma or two years of work experience during the prior five years that required at least two years of training. The applications must be submitted online and must follow the instructions that have been provided by the Department of State. Applicants who submitted their applications between Oct. 3 and Oct. 17, 2017, will need to resubmit them because the system experienced a problem.
The diversity lottery offers an opportunity for people who were born in certain underrepresented countries to be able to immigrate to the U.S. While only 50,000 people are selected each year, it is still possible to win. The best immigration lawyers help applicants with their diversity visa applications and encourage those who are not selected to reapply next year. They may also be able to recommend other visa programs that might work.
