Travelling to the USA: how to check your eligibiltity to the green card lottery?

Travelling to the USA
Published on : 31 December 20184 min reading time

The green card lottery aims at diversifying the population of the United States of America. The U.S grants 50,000 green cards each year to citizens of qualifying countries. This sees many hopefuls apply each year to get an opportunity to work and live in the United States. Since demand is high, not many are eligible to participate in the lottery. One of the main requirements is that green cards are offered to countries which do not send many immigrants to the United States. Eligible applicants should also either have held a job for more than two years, or at least must have a high school certificate. One can apply through the USA green card office or through the United States Department. The results of the lottery are announced in the month of May each year. The opportunity to apply for the Green Card is open only on October. However, you can make your application by using the USA green card office at any time of the year. This ensures that you do not get caught into the mad rush that happens when the opportunity to apply opens in October. Another advantage of applying this way is that you can have a peace of mind knowing that your application was done in the right way, which enhances your chances of having your name in the lottery green card inscription. You can click here to check your eligibility.

What is required

When you visit the USA green card office website, you will be presented with the option of checking your eligibility. You will be required to enter some details such as your names, marital status, email address, country of birth and residence, and your contacts. It is essential to enter the correct details so that you do not have to waste your time when applying for a green card. This is because you are required to provide evidence of the information you have provided later in the process.

Categories for those eligible for green card

One is eligible to apply for a green card through family. You are eligible if you have an immediate relative who is a citizen of the United States. This means you will be eligible if you are a spouse, an unmarried child aged 21 or a parent of a U.S. citizen. You can also be eligible to apply for citizenship through employment. You will be eligible if you are an immigrant worker, an immigrant investor, or if you are physician. You will also be eligible to apply as a special immigrant and as a religious worker going to work for a non-profit religious organization, a special immigrant juvenile such as a child who faces abuse, neglect or has been abandoned by his/her parents, if you are an Iraq or Afghanistan national, or if you are an international broadcaster going to work in the U. S for a media house. It is possible to be eligible to apply for a green card lottery through registry if you have lived in the country since before Jan 1, 1972. You will also be eligible if you are applying through asylum or refugee status. Victims of abuse, human trafficking and crime victims are also eligible to apply. There are also some special cases in which you can be able self-petition to be eligible. While you will not be required to show that you satisfy these requirements when applying for the green card, you will be required to provide evidence when your name is selected in the draw.

How to apply

If you are eligible and want to apply for the green card, you will need an immigrant petition filed on your behalf. This petition is to determine the category or classification of your application. It also determines the requirements applicable to you. While some categories may require individuals to petition for themselves, those wishing to move to the US because of humanitarian programs do not need to fulfill the petition requirement. After you successfully apply for lottery, you will be presented with a confirmation number. It is advised that you print the number or store the web page somewhere you can access it easily. This is because it cannot be replaced, and if you try to recover it by registering again, your applications will all be negated. If you have successfully applied and received the number, you can wait the results in May the next year. You will be required to log in to the official Diversity Lottery page to check your status. You will be required to enter the confirmation number you received when registering to check if you have been successful. 

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