U.S. Green Card Lottery (Diversity Visa) FAQ

What are the Green Card Lottery Requirements?

The important primary requirements for the Diversity Visa Immigrant Visa Program for filing and being eligible for the program are as follows:

1. The applicant must be born in an eligible county. The applicant’s country of residence or citizenship does not typically determine eligibility. There are two exceptions to this requirement; however, the exceptions are rarely used and should be discussed with someone on our team to determine eligibility. It is important to select the correct country at the time of application as this usually cannot be changed.
   
2. The applicant must meet the education or work experience requirements of the program. To meet the education requirements, the applicant must have a high school education or equivalent as defined by the successful completion of a 12-year formal course of education. To meet the work experience requirements, the applicant must have worked at least two years in the last five years in an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience as defined by the U.S. Department of Labor, with guidelines available online at the O-Net Online database

It is important to note, that an applicant must list an eligible spouse or children at the time of the initial application to enter into the lottery unless the spouse or child is already a U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident. Failure to list all eligible children or a spouse will result in disqualification of the applicant and a possible refusal of visa applications. An after-acquired spouse, or child born after the time of entry can later be added to an application if selected.

Please note, de facto partners do not qualify as a spouse for U.S. immigration purposes. A spouse only qualifies based upon a legal marriage.