Can I apply for U.S. citizenship after I get my Green Card?

You may apply for U.S. citizenship after a continuous 5 years of residence in the United States.

How long is a Green Card valid for?

It is valid as long as you maintain your U.S. residence and live in the U.S.

What does the term "native" mean?

"Native" means the country of birth, regardless of the individual's current country of residence or nationality. If you were born in a country which cannot participate in the Green Card Lottery, you can still enter the lottery if your spouse or one of your parents were born in an eligible country. For example, if you were born in Canada or the United Kingdom (both ineligible countries), but your husband/wife or one of your parents were born in Ireland (an eligible country), you can enter the Green Card Lottery.

What does it mean to have a "high school education or its equivalent"?

"High School education or its equivalent" means the successful completion of a twelve year course of elementary and secondary education in the U.S. or successful completion in another county of a formal course of elementary and secondary education comparable to complete a 12 year education in the U.S.

What does it mean to have "two years work experience in an occupation requiring at least two years training or experience"?

The determination of which occupations require at least two years of training or experience shall be based upon the Department of Labor's O*Net Online database.

May a husband and wife each submit a separate application?

Yes. A husband and a wife may each submit one lottery application. If either is selected in the lottery, the other would be entitled to derivative status.

Is there a minimum age to apply for the lottery?

There is not a minimum age to apply for the lottery. However, the education/work experience requirements will effectively preclude most people under 18 from applying.

How will I know if I was selected or not selected?

The State Department will notify winners by mail between May and July. They will not notify applicants to let them know they were not selected. The only way you will know that you are not selected is if you have not received a registration notification letter before the date the USCIS officially states that it has stopped notifying people.

Do I need to send photographs of each family member and have each sign the application or just the principal applicant?

Recent photographs of the applicant and his/her spouse and each child except children who are already a U.S. citizen or a Legal Permanent Resident, even if a child no longer resides with the applicant, must be attached to the entry. The name and date of birth of each family member must be printed on the back of their photo. Group or family photos will not be accepted; there must be a separate photo for each family member. Photos should be attached with tape and not stapled to the entry.

How long will it take before the winners can emigrate to the U.S.?

The process can take between 6-12 months.

Which countries cannot participate in the lottery?

Most countries are involved in the Green Card Lottery, but there are a few exceptions. The following countries are excluded from participating in this year's Green Card Lottery:

* Persons born in Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR and Taiwan are eligible.
** Northern Ireland is eligible.

Note: If we were born in a country which cannot participate in the Green Card Lottery, you can still enter the lottery if your spouse or one of your parents were born in an eligible country. For example, if you were born in Canada or the United Kingdom (both ineligible countries), but your husband/wife or one of your parents were born in Ireland (an eligible country), you can enter the Green Card Lottery. On the application form, put your spouse/parent country of birth as your "native country" and your country of birth as your country of birth. If you do qualify for the Green Card Lottery through your spouse/parent country of birth, there are two ways to enter the lottery. You can apply online or by mail.

Is there any official statement by the U.S. government about the lottery?

The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) is the basis for the Diversity Visa Lottery Program. Please read the following content for more information.

How long will it take me to complete the entry application?
The entry application process should take 5 to 10 minutes to complete.

Does my spouse also have to send in her application?
Although this is not strictly necessary, it does improve your chances. If one of you wins, you will both receive a green card. Registering both therefore doubles your chance to win!  

What is the Green Card Application Selection Process?
USA Immigration Services accepts Green Card Applications between October 4th, 2007 and December 3rd, 2007. These Green Card applications are sorted according to geographic regions (Africa, Asia, Europe, South America, North America and Oceania). Each Green Card application is individually numbered and screened.
Within each region the Kentucky Consular Center Computer randomly selects and registers Green Card applications from all the entries received. The U.S. Dept. of State selects about 90,000 applications in order to ensure that all 55,000 annual Green cards will be issued. This means that only the first 55,000 qualified winners will actually receive a Green Card. No country may receive more than 5,500 diversity visas in any given year.

How can I be sure that all the information required was submitted?
The online system will not allow a user to complete his entry and secure his participation without filling out all of the required details.

What if my form is incomplete?
In case some information is missing, USAVIS will make sure that it is completed correctly and taken care of on time so you don't miss your chance to enter the lottery. Unlike the US Immigration service, we make sure all the information is there so you will not miss your chance to partake in the lottery.

What happens if I live in a different country then the one I was born in?
When this kind of situation occurs, you don't have to worry because our automatic online system will be alerted. Our system is programmed to automatically take care of such situations. For instance, if you are registered as a native of one of the qualified countries, we will change and resubmit your application correctly. Again, don't worry; you are still qualified in this case.

I was born in a disqualified country. Is there anything I can do?
If your parents or spouse are natives of one of the qualified countries, you can participate by entering with a different nativity than the one you were born with.

If I win, will my family have to emigrate with me?
No. The fact that you included the names of family members on the application does not obligate them to emigrate with you. They can choose whether or not to join you.

How much does it cost to participate in the lottery?
Participation in the lottery is free of charge.