History of the Green Card Lottery Program

The diversity visa lottery which gives opportunity to win green card was a program by which a category of immigrants from other countries and those adversely effected by the Immigration and Nationality Act Amendments of 1965 (P.L. 89-236) were to receive a special immigration benefit. In 1986 the United States Congress attempted to assist recently disadvantaged immigrants with an emphasis on persons from the Irish Isles obtain some special way to immigrate and receive a green card to the United States. The sponsors of the Legislation, (among them prominent Irish-American members of Congress) devised a lottery program that would grant green cards to persons from other countries. Since that initial program, changes have been made. The congressionally mandated Diversity Immigrant Visa Program is also known as the Diversity Lottery program or the Green Card Lottery. It is administered on an annual basis by the U.S. Department of State and conducted under the terms of Section 203© of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Section 131 of the Immigration Act of 1990 (Pub. L. 101-649) amended INA 203 to provide for a new class of immigrants known as “diversity immigrants” (DV immigrants).

What is the Diversity Visa (Green Card) Lottery Program?

Each year, 55,000 immigrant visas(5,000 visas maintained to Nicaragua) are made available through a lottery to people who come from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. None of these visas are available for people who come from countries that have sent more than 50,000 immigrants to the United States in the past five years.

The State Department holds the lottery every year, and randomly selects approximately 110,000 applicants from all qualified entries. The State Department selects the approximately 110,000 applications since many will not complete the visa process. However once 50,000 are issued or the fiscal year ends, the lottery is closed.

If you receive a visa through the Diversity Visa Lottery Program you will be authorized to live and work permanently in the United States. You will also be allowed to bring your spouse and any unmarried children under the age of 21 to the United States.

The next Green Card Lottery will be for fiscal year 2008,officially called DV Lottery 2009. Paper applications are no longer accepted. The results are given to the winners between May till July. Persons who are selected are entitled to claim immigrant visa (Green Card) have 13 month to claim and provide all the necessary documents for the Green Card.From January 2009 till 30 September 2009 winners who completed the consular process must enter United States otherwise they will lose their Green Card.

How Do I Apply?
Follow all directions exactly. Millions of applications are rejected each year because of mistakes!

• You may prepare and submit your own entry, or have someone submit the entry for you. Failure to complete the form in its entirety will disqualify your entry.

Note: In the event more than one application was filed for one applicant, the applicant will be disqualified automatically, regardless of who submitted the entry.

You will be asked to submit the following information for the Green Card Lottery:

• Full Name
• Date of Birth
• Gender
• City/Town of Birth
• Country of Birth
• Mailing Address
• Phone Number
• Email Address
• Country of Eligibility (Usually Your Birth Country)
• Your Recent Photos (Passport Photo*)  _{*see DV Photo Page section.} 
• Marriage Status
• Number of Children that are unmarried and under 21 years of age
• Spouse Information
• Children Information