Citizens of all post-Soviet states can participate in the lottery, which grants the right to permanent residence and work in the United States. Moreover, according to the rules, the current place of residence of a potential participant does not matter – what matters is the fact of his or her birth in a country eligible for the lottery and the corresponding citizenship.
The Green Card lottery (official name Diversity Visa Lottery or DV Lottery – possibly translated as 'National Diversity Lottery') is conducted in accordance with the Immigration Act of 1990. One of the provisions of the law provides for the support of ethnic, racial, and religious diversity of the United States by giving residents of all countries of the world the opportunity to settle in the U.S. This provision was adopted because immigration is usually 'chain' in nature: members of one family facilitate the move of their relatives to a new country – as a result, due to immigration quotas, the opportunities for immigration to the U.S. for people without relatives in the United States decrease.
Lottery winners and their immediate family members (spouse and children) receive a Green Card (green card) – the official name of this document is 'United States Permanent Resident Card'. The holder of a Green Card receives the right to legal residence and work in the U.S., and after five years, he or she has the right to apply for U.S. citizenship.
A Green Card also allows travel outside the U.S. However, to maintain this status, the cardholder must spend at least 6 months and one day per year on U.S. territory.
Registration of participants will be conducted exclusively online. Those wishing to participate in the lottery program must register at www.dvlottery.state.gov. Registration is completely free and does not require the involvement of any intermediaries.
After registration, each lottery participant will receive an individual number, with which they can independently check their status online. Lottery winners will receive a corresponding notification by mail; losers will receive no messages.
A lottery participant must be a citizen of a country eligible for the lottery. He or she must have a secondary school education or its equivalent, meaning successful completion of a 12-year course of primary and secondary education, or two years of work experience within the last five years in an occupation requiring at least two years of training or experience.
If more than one application is submitted on behalf of a single applicant, they will not be considered. Applicants may prepare and submit their applications on their own or with someone's help.
The U.S. Department of State does not endorse, recommend, or support the use of any information or materials from external sources. The selection of applicants will be done by computer.