Diversity Visa Lottery Update

The lottery is a yearly process which issues 50,000 green cards to people from certain countries. Further, these countries have historically low immigration rates to the U.S. Moreover, almost all individuals who have completed the equivalent of a U.S. high school education, or have worked for at least 2 years within the last 5 in a qualifying occupation are eligible to enter the Department of State’s annual diversity visa lottery for a visa.

2017 Diversity Visa Lottery

If you participated in the 2017 lottery program, check online to see your status. Likewise, the Department of State does not send notification to those selected in the mail or over e-mail. For the 2017 lottery program, natives of the following countries became ineligible because the countries sent a total of more than 50,000 immigrants to the U.S. in the past 5 years: Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (mainland-born), Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, South Korea, United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland), and Vietnam.

2018 Diversity Visa Lottery

The Department of State is conducting the 2018 diversity visa lottery started on October 4, 2016. It will conclude on November 7, 2016. You may apply here.