The Green Card lottery, also known as the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, is a program run by the U.S. Department of State that provides up to 50,000 immigrant visas each year to people from countries with low immigration rates to the United States. The visas are distributed through a lottery system. Many people are curious about who actually selects the winners of the Green Card lottery each year.
What is the Green Card Lottery?
The Green Card lottery program makes available up to 55,000 diversity visas annually to people who meet simple but strict eligibility requirements from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. The visas provide the recipients with lawful permanent resident status in the United States, known informally as getting a Green Card. Registration for the diversity lottery happens only once each year and there is no cost to register for the program.
The goals of the Green Card lottery are to diversify the immigrant population in the United States, by selecting applicants mostly from countries with low rates of immigration in the previous five years. The lottery aims to benefit people from parts of the world that have provided relatively fewer immigrants to the United States over the past few decades. Only countries that have sent less than 50,000 immigrants to the United States in the previous five years are eligible for the diversity lottery. The program is also designed to give people with no familial ties or U.S. employment connections a chance to immigrate and achieve the “American Dream.”
Eligibility for the Green Card Lottery
To be eligible for a diversity visa through the lottery, applicants must meet some simple but strict requirements:
– Be a native of one of the low-admission countries. The applicant’s country of birth must have sent less than 50,000 immigrants to the United States in the previous five years.
– Have a high school education or its equivalent or have two years of qualifying work experience within the past five years.
– Have no criminal record or other factors that would make them ineligible for a visa under U.S. law.
– Pay the required visa fees for adjustment of status upon selection and approval.
In addition, applicants must submit qualifying entries and passport-style photographs during the annual registration period. Only one entry is allowed per person each year during the registration period. Submission of more than one entry will disqualify applicants.
Who Conducts the Green Card Lottery?
The Green Card Lottery is conducted annually by the U.S. Department of State under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Specifically within the Department of State, the lottery is administered by the Kentucky Consular Center (KCC). The KCC processes all green card lottery applications and selects the winners through a computer-generated random drawing.
Key Steps in the Green Card Lottery Process
The key steps in the Green Card lottery process conducted by the Kentucky Consular Center each year are:
- Registration – The KCC opens registration for a limited period, usually about 30 days once per year. Applicants submit their names, contact information, photograph, and other required data. All entries are electronically segregated by region and randomly assigned numbers.
- Random Selection – After registration closes, the KCC uses a computer program to randomly select applicants from each geographic region. Up to 125,000 applicants are selected as winners and notified that they can now apply for a diversity visa.
- Application Processing – The randomly selected applicants have one year from notification to complete the application process and be approved for a visa number. This includes submitting a fully completed DS-260 application and supporting documents to establish eligibility.
- Visa Interviews – Once the documentation process is complete, applicants are scheduled for interviews at a U.S. consulate or embassy in their home country.
- Issuance of Visas – After the interview, if there are no issues or concerns, the visa will be issued by the U.S. consular officer.
At each step of the way, the computer programs and consular officers work to ensure all legal requirements are met for applicants to receive one of the up to 55,000 diversity immigrant visas available each year.
How are Green Card Lottery Winners Randomly Selected?
Green Card lottery winners are selected purely by chance through a computer-generated random drawing. A complex computer program designed by the State Department randomly selects applicants from among qualified entries.
The lottery computer program assigns random numbers to all qualified entries within each geographic region. It then selects entries with the lowest random numbers within each region as winners. The number of winners selected from each region is proportional to the number of qualified entries received from each region.
Steps in the Random Selection Process
Here are the specific steps involved in the random selection process for the Green Card lottery:
- The KCC divides all qualified entry data by geographic region into separate lists based on the six Diversity Visa regions.
- The entry data lists are sorted by country within each region.
- The KCC computer assigns random numbers sequentially to each individual on each regional list.
- The computer starts selecting applicants numerically, lowest random numbers first, from each region.
- Selections continue until enough applicants are chosen to match the region’s allocated visa numbers for the year.
- The computer disregards remaining higher numbers.
This completely random computerized selection provides equal opportunity for all applicants within a region to be chosen as a diversity visa winner.
How Many Winners are Selected Each Year?
The Green Card lottery makes available a maximum of 55,000 diversity immigrant visas each year. However, this does not mean 55,000 winners will be selected.
The actual number of visa lottery winners chosen annually depends on several factors:
– Number of Qualified Applicants – More qualified applicants means more winners can potentially be selected. Higher disqualification rates mean fewer can be chosen.
– Regional Allocation – Visas are allocated proportionally among the world’s six geographic regions. More applications from a region means more winners from that region.
– Prior Year Adjustments – Unused visa numbers from the prior year can roll over to the next year, increasing how many winners can be chosen.
The regional visa allocations mean diversity lottery winners are chosen from around the world each year:
| Region | Annual Visa Allocation |
|---|---|
| Africa | 19,000 |
| Asia | 8,500 |
| Europe | 14,500 |
| North America | 8 |
| Oceania | 1,500 |
| South America, Central America, Caribbean | 2,500 |
In recent years, around 100,000 applicants have been selected annually from millions of qualified entries worldwide. But only approximately 50% of selectees complete the documentation process and obtain visas in the end due to the strict eligibility requirements.
When are Green Card Lottery Winners Notified?
Green Card lottery winners are notified of their selection by the Kentucky Consular Center (KCC) in early May each year, after the computer random selection is completed. The notification comes by mail in the form of an official “Selection Letter” sent to the address provided on the original application.
The Selection Letter confirms that the applicant has been preliminarily selected for a diversity immigrant visa, pending completion of additional processing steps. Letters are sent out on a rolling basis over several weeks through standard postal mail. Email notifications are never used officially for the lottery.
Applicants not selected as winners in the lottery do not receive any notification. Unsuccessful applicants learn their status by checking the official DV Entrant Status Check available on the E-DV website after May 8 each year.
Key Details in the Selection Notification Letter
The selection notification letters sent by the KCC provide the following important details to lottery winners:
– Notification of being selected as eligible for a diversity immigrant visa
– Diversity Visa (DV) Case Number to be used in any future communication
– Instructions to complete the DS-260 Immigrant Visa Application and submit required documents
– Timeframe for submitting the DS-260 and documents to the KCC
– Next steps in the visa application process
Winning the Green Card lottery does not guarantee someone will receive a visa. But selection kicks off the long documentation approval process required before an actual visa interview can be scheduled.
What Happens After Winners are Selected?
Many steps remain even after applicants are selected as diversity visa lottery winners. Being chosen in the random selection merely provides the opportunity to apply formally for the visa. Extensive documentation must still be submitted to prove eligibility.
Here is what happens after the Green Card lottery winners are selected:
- Complete Form DS-260 – Winners must submit the DS-260 Immigrant Visa Application to the KCC, along with a photo meeting visa specifications.
- Submit Supporting Documents – Documentation includes items such as birth certificates, passports, police certificates, court records, and more as requested to prove eligibility.
- KCC Review – The KCC reviews the DS-260 and all documents for completeness and accuracy, corresponding with applicants for any clarifications required.
- Transfer Case – After the KCC finishes processing, complete case files are transferred to the appropriate U.S. consular post.
- Interview Scheduling – The consulate schedules an in-person visa interview once the case file is received from KCC.
- Visa Interview – The consular officer interviews the applicant and determines approval for the visa.
- Visa Issuance – After a successful interview, the diversity visa can be issued.
This comprehensive documentation review filters out unqualified applicants. Selection as a lottery winner does not guarantee receipt of a Green Card. But it provides the opportunity to move through the long visa process.
Can the Green Card Lottery Results be Checked Online?
Green Card lottery entrants use the U.S. State Department’s Entrant Status Check available at www.dvlottery.state.gov to check the results of the annual random selection. The Entrant Status Check is the ONLY official U.S. government website for checking Green Card lottery results online.
Using the Entrant Status Check requires:
– Year of Lottery Entry – Must choose the specific lottery year to check
– Confirmation Number – Must enter the unique confirmation number from the original application
– Personal Details – Must provide last/family name, birth year, and gender exactly as on the original application
After submitting these items, the Entrant Status Check shows one of the following results:
– “Selected” – The applicant was randomly chosen as a winner and may now apply for the visa.
– “Not Selected” – The applicant was not selected in the random drawing.
– “Unresolved” – Some issue with confirming the applicant’s entry remains.
The Entrant Status Check is the sole way to confirm Green Card lottery results since notification letters are only sent to those selected as winners. Checking online provides the quickest way to learn selection outcomes.
Conclusion
The Green Card diversity immigrant visa program makes 50,000 immigrant visas available annually to people from countries with low U.S. immigration rates. Selection as one of the coveted winners happens through a randomized computer drawing conducted by the State Department’s Kentucky Consular Center each year.
While winning the lottery simply initiates the long visa application process, it provides life-changing opportunities for thousands hoping to immigrate legally to the United States. Meticulous documentation review and interviews ensure that only truly eligible applicants receive the scarce diversity visas in the end. Checking results online provides the fastest and most efficient way to learn selection outcomes from this complex but well-run program.