5 things to know about 2024 Diversity Visa green card lottery
Registration is open for the 2024 Diversity Visa green card lottery. You have until noon on Nov. 8 to enter. You can enter only online. For more information, go to bit. ly/3Tyrdcv.
Which countries’ natives can enter this year?
Natives of all countries qualify except Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (including Hong Kong ), Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Korea (South Korea), United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, Venezuela and Vietnam. Natives of Macau SAR and Taiwan are eligible.
If you are not a native of a qualifying country, but your spouse is, you qualify but your spouse must also enter. You each submit separate entries.
In recent years, processing delays caused by the COVID lockdown kept many winners from getting their green cards. Federal courts are considering whether to restore these winners’ rights. Let’s hope the Department of State will solve this problem for the DV-2024 lottery.
If I am in the United States without lawful status and I win the lottery, can I get a green card?
For most entrants, no. That is because you must travel home to get your immigrant visa. If you have been here unlawfully more than 180 days, you face the “unlawful presence” bar to returning for three years. A lottery win is good for one year only. You would unlikely be able to get a waiver of the three-year bar before your right to a green card expired. Note that most out-of-status international students are exempt from this bar.
How come, year after year, my home country is left off the lottery eligibility list?
A country’s nationals are not eligible for the lottery if 50,000 individuals or more have immigrated from that country over the prior five years.
If I win the lottery, can my family immigrate with me?
Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 can get green cards when you do no matter where they were born.
Are there other requirements?
Yes. You must have at least a U.S. high school degree or its equivalent, or you must have worked during the last five years at least two years in a job where two years training or experience is required.