The United States Department introduced the Diversity Immigrant Visa program. As the name implies, the goal of this program is to diversify the community by awarding visas to countries whose citizens do not usually migrate to the United States.
According to the statistics, over 50 thousand visas will be available in the upcoming years for nations with low rates of immigration to the United States. There are no complicated rules or procedures to obtain these visas. All you have to do is follow the basic steps and meet all the requirements.
One of the best aspects of this program is that it has been maintained cost-effective and straightforward by the authorities. There are no fees associated with registering.
Which eligible for Diversity Immigrant Visa Program?
This is a critical question. As previously stated, the purpose of this visa is to foster regional diversity. As a result, the Department of State has divided the country into geographical zones. There are about six regions, each of which receives a set number of visas, neither more nor less.
According to statistics, each area gets 7% of the diversity visas each year. The diversity immigration visa program excludes nations with historically high rates of immigration to the United States. China, Brazil, India, Pakistan, Columbia, Jamaica, and several other countries. The complete list of countries can be found on the USCIS official website.
Who is Eligible for Diversity Immigrant Visa Program?
First and foremost, you need to be a native of the country in the list of countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States. But there are two exceptions where the Diversity Immigration Program can benefit you if you are not a native of these specific countries.
The first exception is that your spouse is a native of one of those countries with a low rate of immigration history to the United States. If both of you are named on the selected entry, both of you are declared eligible for diversity visas, and both of you enter the U.S. simultaneously, you can claim your spouse’s country of birth.
Secondly, suppose your parents are not legal residents of the country you are native(which is not on the list of countries eligible for the diversity immigration visa program). In that case, you can claim a visa under this program.
You can be “charged” to either of your parents’ birth countries as long as neither of them was born in or a resident of that country when you were born. People who were not born in a country or not officially naturalized are generally not considered residents. Visitors, students, and workers who are only in a country for a short period are not considered residents.
If you use one of the above ways to claim alternate charge-ability, you must explain it on the E-DV Entry Form.
Personal eligibility criteria:
Apart from the eligibility based on your native country, there are more requirements that you must fulfill to get a visa under this program. Following are the requirements
- 16 years of education (high school education or equivalent)
- Work experience (there are specific instructions about work experience, you can head to the USCIS website to get further information)
- Even though there is no minimum age for applying, the requirement that each principal applicant has a high school certificate or work experience at the time of application effectively disqualifies most people under the age of 18.
How to Apply?
The procedure is straightforward. All you have to do now is fill out the diversity visa database website and submit your application. There are no paper entries allowed. You must submit your online entry within the specified time frame.
It is strongly advised that you do not postpone your application submission because there is a significant volume of traffic on the website around deadlines, which might cause technical difficulties. And any delays, regardless of cause, are not acceptable for your entry.
You can fill out your entry form on your own or seek assistance from a specialist. You will receive a configuration number and a printout of your confirmation screen after submitting your registration form online.
This is a crucial number because, without it, you will be unable to access the DV database to check the progress of your submission. Also, enter your current email address to access the database quickly later. You also recommend utilizing modern browsers because older browsers frequently cause technical issues when accessing the DV database. The following is the information you’ll need to finish your entry:
- Name
- Age
- Gender
- City of birth
- Date of birth
- Country
- Passport details
- Recent Photographs
- Contact details (Email address and phone number)
- Mailing address
- Current Marital status (Do not include your spouse in your entry if they are a U.S. citizen or a Lawful Permanent Resident. A spouse who is already a U.S. citizen or LPR is not required to apply for or receive a visa.)
- Children (The DV program does not accept married children or children who are 21 years old or older when you submit your application. A child who is already a U.S. citizen or LPR when you submit your DV application will not be required to apply for or receive a Diversity Visa; you will not be penalized for including or excluding such family members from your application.)
How does the Entry selection system work?
Qualified entries will be processed using computer software based on visa availability in various regions. The software will choose entries at random. Under the Diversity Visa Program, these entries will be given visas.
Then you were to go to the Entrant Status Check and open it with your configuration number. If your entry is selected, the website will redirect you to a page with additional information and instructions regarding the program.
The next step is to verify your eligibility and submit an application for an immigrant visa, together with supporting documentation. Then there’s the interview with the applicant.