The Program was created by the Immigration Act Section 203 (C)of 1990 and signed into lawby then- President George Bush. The program is perfectly legal and sponsored by the U.S. State
Department. This program making available by U.S. government in each year by random selection of maximum 55,000 permanent residence visas (GREEN CARDS) to people from around the world. The objective of the program is to issue Green Cards to individuals born in countries with historically low levels of immigration to the United States. Read here for in-depth information about Immigration Act Section 203(C).
The month long registration period will be held each Fall beginning at noon on the first Monday in October. The National Visa Center receives between 7 to 8 million qualified
entries during a registration mail-in period. The massive volume of entries creates an enormous amount of work in selecting and processing successful registrants. Holding the registration period in the Fall will ensure successful registrants are notified in a more timely manner. This will give both them and our Embassies and
Consulates overseas more time to prepare and complete the applications for visa issuance.

The registration period for the next Green Card Lottery (DV-2002)Will be from October 2, until November 1,2000

Am I Eligible To Apply ?

In order to enter the lottery program, an applicant must be a native of an eligible country (see below), and must have either a high school education or its equivalent; OR two years of work experience within the past five years in an occupation requiring at least two years of training or working experience. If a person does not meet these requirements, he/she should NOT submit an entry to the Visa Lottery program. To apply, you do not have to speak English and you do not need to have relatives in the USA.

List of countries that are not eligible for this program : CANADA, CHINA (mainland and Taiwan, except Hong Kong S.A.R.), COLOMBIA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, ELSALVADOR, HAITI, INDIA, JAMAICA, MEXICO, PHILIPPINES, POLAND, SOUTH KOREA, UNITED KINGDOM (except Northern Ireland) and itsdependent territories, and VIETNAM. Persons born in Hong Kong and Northern Ireland are eligible to apply. Ifyou were NOT born in one of these excluded countries, you may apply.

How Does The Green Card Lottery Program Works ?

At the National Visa Center all entries received will be separated into one of six geographic regions and individually numbered. After the end of the application period, a computer will randomly select cases from among all the mail received for each geographic region. Within each region, the first letter randomly selected will be the first case registered, the second letter selected the second registration, etc. The winners will be notified by mail by State Department, which will provide appropriate visa application instructions. The National Visa Center will continue to process the case until those who are registered
are instructed to make formal application at a U.S. consular office or until those able to do so apply at an INS office in the United States for change of status.The State
Department selects more winners than there are visas available. The State Department awards visas to winners on a first-come, first-served basis. There are a maximum of 55,000 DV visas available for Fiscal Year 2002 but more than that number of individuals will be registered. A total of about 100,000 persons, both principal applicants and their spouses and children, will be registered. Since it is likely that some of the first 50,000 persons who are registered will not pursue their cases to visa issuance, this larger figure should ensure use of all DV-2002 numbers, but it also risks
some registrants being left out. All applicants who are registered will be informed promptly of their place on the first. Each month visas will be issued, visa number availability permitting, to those applicants who are ready for issuance during that month.Once all of the Fiscal Year 2002 visas have been issued, the program for the year will end. In principle, visa numbers could be exhausted before September 2002. Registered applicants who wish to receive visas must be prepared to ACT their cases. Being selected as a winner in the DV lottery does not automatically guarantee a visa.