Green Card Lottery

The Green Card Lottery (DV)

The application period for the DV-2006 green card lottery has ended. The last day to apply was January 7, 2005 at noon, Eastern Standard Time (EST). If you would like to be informed about the date of the next green card lottery (DV-2007), click here to join our lottery update mailing list.

You may apply for a green card at no charge at the US State Department website. Instructions on how to apply for the green card lottery are posted each year at the US State Department website. If you need help with your application, Immigration Law Offices can process your application for you. Our fee is $70 US, payable by check or credit card.

Join our lottery update mailing list to be contacted about the next green card lottery (DV-2006)!
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About the Lottery: Each year 55,000 permanent resident visas or "green cards" are handed out through the BCIS (formerly INS) green card lottery program, also known as the "Diversity Visa Program". 5,000 of these visas are given to those eligible under the NACARA (Nicaraguan and Central American Relief Act) program. The rest are picked at random. The cards are distributed on a first-come first-served basis; the BCIS (formerly INS) will notify 110,000 prospective applicants. Once the first 55,000 diversity visas are issued, the program is closed. This free program is designed to add diversity to the U.S. immigrant population. It entitles you to live and work permanently in the US, as well as bring your spouse and any unmarried children under the age of 21 to the US.

The qualifying countries vary per year, depending on which countries have been least represented in the U.S. immigrant population over the previous five years. The maximum distributed per country each year is 3,850.

In order to qualify for the green card lottery, you must:

(1) be born in a qualifying country, or, if you are not native-born, you may claim your native-born spouse's country of birth, or your parents' country of birth, if neither of your parents were born or resided in that country at your time of birth.

(2) hold either a high school diploma or at least two years of job experience in a job requiring a minimum of two years of training or experience

Please Note: A job offer is NOT necessary to be eligible for this program.

For DV-2006, natives of the following countries are NOT eligible to apply:

CANADA, CHINA (mainland-born), COLOMBIA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, EL SALVADOR, HAITI, INDIA, JAMAICA, MEXICO, PAKISTAN, PHILIPPINES, RUSSIA, SOUTH KOREA, UNITED KINGDOM (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, and VIETNAM.

Please Note: Persons born in Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR and Taiwan are eligible to apply.

Definitions:

Accompanying Relative:
The spouse or child under the age of 21 of the holder of an immigrant or nonimmigrant visa, who is accompanying them to the US