Nigeria Removed from 2013 Green Card Lottery Registration

Residents of Nigeria are no longer eligible to claim their country in registration for the green card lottery in 2013.

Alternatively, Nigerian citizens or residents may claim the country of their spouse or one of their parents if that family member is from one of the eligible countries.

Why Nigeria Is Ineligible

The list of eligible countries that are considered eligible for the green card lottery is developed over five years of immigration statistics. Countries that have more than a certain number of emigrants to the United States will be taken off of the eligibility list.

This rule is enforced to support the original purpose of the green card lottery, which is to support diversity in the U.S. immigration program.

People from countries that don’t often have the opportunity or resources to immigrate to the United States may apply for the green card lottery.

The advantage of this program is that it does not require immigrants to fulfil many requirements.

Alternative Options

Nigerian residents might still have a chance to register for the green card lottery this year in a couple of situations.

If a potential applicant has a parent or a spouse who was born in another country that happens to be on the list of eligible countries, that person can claim that country.

Applicants should start putting their registration information together as soon as possible as the green card lottery has begun today, October 1, 2013.

There is only a month left for the registration period. No more applications will be accepted after November 2, 2013.