Every year, the Green Card Lottery gives 50,000 people to win in a USA green card and the opportunity to live, study and work in USA.

A Green Card is a permanent residence visa (green card) that gives a person the legal right to live, work and study permanently in the USA. Green Card winners can enter and leave the USA freely. They can work in any government, public and private job that is available. They can also bring their wife or husband and any children younger than 21 years old.

Green Card winners also receive health, education, retirement, taxation, social security and other benefits. The Green Card does not affect your current citizenship. Green Card holders may later apply for USA Citizenship.

The Green Card is valid for life.

The lottery ensures diversity in the USA population by giving these people a chance to come to the USA. As a result, it is also called the Diversity Visa Program or DV Program.

Green card winners are chosen at random by computer. Winning the Green Card Lottery begins with submitting a complete and correct application.

The State Department limits the number of applicants that it will accept from various countries. These limits are based on those countries rates of immigration to the USA. If a country sent more than 50,000 immigrants to the USA in the last 5 years, citizens of that country will not be eligible for the Green Card Lottery. No one country can receive more than 7% of the total number of Green Cards for any particular year.

Click here for the List of the countries that are not eligible to register.

If you were born in a country whose citizens are not eligible for the Green Card Lottery, but neither of your parents resided there or were born there, you may be able to apply for the Green Card Lottery based on the birth country of one of your parents.

People already in the USA may apply for the U.S Diversity Visa Lottery program.

1. You or your husband/wife or one of your parents was born in an eligible country.

The entrant must be from an eligible country. You must have been born in an eligible country, or have parents who were born in eligible countries and who were not residents of your country of birth, when you were born. For example, your parents might have lived temporarily in the ineligible country because of their jobs.

Every year, the State Department announces the countries whose natives are ineligible for application. For the DV-2010 lottery, natives of the following countries are not eligible to apply: BRAZIL, CANADA, CHINA (mainland-born), COLOMBIA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, ECUADOR, EL SALVADOR, GUATEMALA, HAITI, INDIA, JAMAICA, MEXICO, PAKISTAN, PHILIPPINES, PERU, POLAND, SOUTH KOREA, UNITED KINGDOM (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, and VIETNAM. Persons born in Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, and Taiwan are eligible..

2. You have a high school diploma or the equivalent OR You have at least 2 years work experience in a profession that requires at least 2 years training.

Entrants must meet an education or training requirement. You will have met the education requirement if you have a high school education or have successfully completed a 12-year course of elementary and secondary education. You will have met the training requirement if you have at least two years of work experience within the past five years in an occupation requiring at least two years of training or experience to perform. The U.S. Department of Labor’s O*Net OnLine database will be used to determine qualifying work experience.

3. Applicants must submit photographs with their applications.

Click here for Photo Requirements

The selected individuals will be notified by mail; the notification letters will provide further instructions, including information on fees connected with immigration to the U.S. Those selected in the random drawing are NOT notified by e-mail (via the USA authorities). Those individuals NOT selected will NOT receive any notification. U.S. embassies and consulates will not provide a list of successful entrants. Successful entrants’ spouses and unmarried children under age 21 may also apply for visas to accompany or follow-to-join the principal applicant.

In order to receive a Diversity Visa to immigrate to the United States, those chosen in the random drawing must meet ALL eligibility requirements under U.S. law. These requirements may significantly increase the level of scrutiny required and time necessary for processing for natives of some countries listed in this notice including, but not limited to, countries identified as state sponsors of terrorism.

1. Full Name – Last/Family Name, First Name, Middle name

2. Date Of Birth – Day, Month, Year

3. Gender – Male or Female

4. City Where You Were Born

5. Country Where You Were Born – The name of the country should be that which is currently in use for the place where you were born.

6. Country Of Eligibility Or Chargeability For The DV Program – Your country of eligibility will normally be the same as your country of birth. Your country of eligibility is not related to where you live. If you were born in a country whose citizens are not eligible for the Green Card Lottery, but neither of your parents resided there or were born there, you may be able to apply for the Green Card Lottery based on the birth country of one of your parents.

7. Entry Photograph(s) – Make sure you include photographs of your spouse and all your children, if applicable. Click for Photo Requirements

8. Mailing Address – In Care Of, Address Line 1, Address Line 2, City/Town, District/Country/Province/State, Postal Code/Zip Code, and Country

9. Country Where You Live Today

10. Phone Number (optional)

11. E-Mail Address (optional)

12. What Is The Highest Level Of Education You Have Achieved, As Of Today?

You must indicate which one of the following represents your own highest level of educational achievement: (1) Primary school only, (2) High school, no degree, (3) High school degree, (4) Vocational school, (5) Some university courses, (6) University degree, (7) Some graduate level courses, (8) Master degree, (9) Some doctorate level courses, and (10) Doctorate degree

13. Marital Status – Unmarried, Married, Divorced, Widowed, or Legally Separated

14. Number Of Children – Entries MUST include the name, date, and place of birth of your spouse and all natural children, as well as all legally-adopted children and stepchildren who are unmarried and under the age of 21 on the date of your entry (do not include children who are already U.S. citizens or Legal Permanent Residents), even if you are no longer legally married to the child’s parent, and even if the spouse or child does not currently reside with you and/or will not immigrate with you. Note that married children and children 21 years or older are not eligible for the diversity visa; however, U.S. law protects children from “aging out” in certain circumstances. If your electronic DV entry is made before your unmarried child turns 21, and the child turns 21 before visa issuance, he/she will be treated as though he/she were under 21 for visa-processing purposes. Failure to list all children who are eligible will result in disqualification of the principal applicant and refusal of all visas in the case at the time of the visa interview.

15. Spouse Information – Name, Date of Birth, Gender, City/Town of Birth, Country of Birth, and Photograph. Failure to list your spouse will result in disqualification of the principal applicant and refusal of all visas in the case at the time of the visa interview.

16. Children Information – Name, Date of Birth, Gender, City/Town of Birth, Country of Birth, and Photograph: Include all children declared in question #14 above.

· Only one entry is permitted by each applicant per year. Those who submit more than one entry will be disqualified.

· Entries are accepted for a limited time and application must be submitted electronically.

· Both partners in a married couple may submit individual applications (which double there chances). Married people must list their spouse (husband/wife) and all their children under the age of 21 on their application forms. You do not need to list children who are already USA citizens or permanent residents.

· The minimum age per applicant is set by the requirement that at least a high school diploma or equivalent and/or 2 years work experience is met. People under 18 years of age usually do not qualify as primary applicants.

· The spouses (husband/wife) and children of Green Card Lottery winners do not have to immigrate to the USA. If they wish, they can file a request for a Diversity Visa based on your winning.

· People waiting for immigrant visas to the USA are may also participate in the Green Card Lottery.

· People located in USA without valid visa can also participate in the green card lottery.

· There is no fee to participate in the Green Card Lottery. There is, however, a charge for the services our organization provides through this site.

· You can check the status of your Green Card Lottery application through this site.