To be eligible to file a green card lottery application, you should have at least a high school education or its equivalent or have two years of work experience in an occupation that needs at least two years training or experience. The Department of State only accepts completed Electronic Diversity Visa Entry Forms submitted electronically at their official website during the stipulated registration period
In your green card lottery application, you should list details about yourself, your spouse and all unmarried children under 21 years of age (with the exception of children who are already U.S. citizens or green card holders). You have to list details about your spouse even if you are currently separated from him/her, unless you are legally separated. If you are legally divorced, you need not list your former spouse.
You should list details of all your children (who are unmarried and under 21 years of age), whether they are your natural children, your spouse’s children, or children you adopted in accordance with the laws of your country, unless that child is already a U.S. citizen or a green card holder. Additionally, you have to list all children under 21 years of age even if they do not reside with you or you do not wish for them to immigrate through the DV lottery program.
- Entries will be disqualified if more than ONE entry for that individual is received, regardless of who submitted the entry.
- The confirmation screen containing your name, date of birth, country, and a date/time stamp will be displayed if your entry was successfully registered. You can print this confirmation screen for your records
- Paper entries are not accepted.
- Applications will be disqualified if all required photographs are not submitted.
- Recently taken photographs of the following people has to be submitted with the green card lottery application – you, your spouse and each unmarried child under 21 years of age
- You need not submit a photo for a child who is already a U.S. citizen or a green card holder.
- Family or group photographs are not accepted.
Signatures are not required on the application. The applicant can either be in the U.S. or abroad and the application can be submitted from the U.S. or from overseas.
Eligibility Requirements to File the Green Card Lottery Application
You cannot apply if your country of birth is not eligible. Your nationality does not make any difference while applying. You should be a native of an eligible country. A husband and wife can each submit one application if both meet the eligibility requirements individually. If one is selected, the other would be entitled to the derivative status.
You can prepare and submit your own entries, or have someone else submit the entry on your behalf. Whether the application is submitted by the individual directly or through an attorney, friend, relative, etc., only one application can be submitted in the name of each person.
You can check your application status at the official website. Note that you will NOT receive a notification letter from the U.S. Government. Entry Status Check is the only way through which DV lottery winners will be notified of their selection