Diversity Visa (Green Card Lottery) Program
The Green Card Lottery Program, officially known as the Diversity Visa Program, allows foreign nationals to apply for a chance to win a green card for themselves and their entire immediate family. For the years 2015 and 2016, the State Department will give 50,000 green cards per year to individuals and families declared as “winners” of the Green Card Lottery from all over the world. There are some countries where nationals are not eligible to apply such as Canada, China, Vietnam, Philippines, South Korea, Mexico, India, Jamaica and other countries deemed to have ample or over representation in the U.S.
Filing an Application for the Green Card Lottery
It is estimated that over 10 million people apply for the program each year. There are some requirements in place such as being a high school graduate and having at least two years’ of recent work experience in an occupation that requires training to perform. All applications for the program must be filed online through the official DV Lottery Green Card Website
Legislation Regarding the Green Card Lottery Program
In 2013, the Senate introduced an immigration reform bill which, among other things, would eliminate the Green Card Lottery Program. At this time, it has not passed the House of Representatives so the future of the Green Card Program is still up in the air at this point. However, there is quite a bit of opposition to the program, so there is speculation in the political arena that 2016 could be the last year the program is offered.
JDC Consultancy wrote two business plans this year for clients that were selected to receive a green card through the program but still continued to pursue the E2 Visa application as a backup plan in case they did not get granted the green card after the application process. For those who applied before the November 3rd deadline, the status of the application may be viewed at the Entrant Status Check page.
