Once again, after one year, applicants can apply for the USA Green Card lottery. While the lottery does not automatically award a card, it provides the fortunate winner with the opportunity to initiate the process of obtaining a green card. The application for DV-2025 can be completed between October 4 and November 7, 2023. Instructions, a link to the application form, and FAQs can be found in the continuously updated article below.
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Table of Contents
- What is the Green Card Lottery (DV-2025)?
- How to Apply for the USA Green Card Lottery
- When is the USA Green Card Lottery?
- Terms and Conditions of the 2023 Green Card Lottery (DV-2025)
- Tips for the 2023 Green Card Lottery (DV-2025)
- Green Card Lottery Results 2023 (DV-2025)
- USA Green Card Lottery FAQs
- How Many People Are Participating in the Diversity Visa Lottery?
What is the Green Card Lottery (DV-2025)?
The organizer of the Diversity Visa Lottery 2025 is the USA government, which aims to give people from all over the world an equal chance to live in the USA. Anyone who meets the predetermined conditions can apply free of charge. Applications are accepted each fall from October to November, with results announced the following May.
Around the Green Card Lottery, there are numerous scammers who promise to assist you with the application or to increase your chances of winning for a fee. Everyone’s chances of winning are equal, and the official dvprogram.state.gov website always offers a free application. Do not complete the application anywhere else.
Winning the Diversity Visa Lottery does not guarantee a green card. However, it implies that the person and their family can begin the process, at the end of which a green card may be awarded. The process involves several rounds of interviews, doctor’s appointments, and form filling. All costs, which are typically in the low to mid hundreds of thousands of crowns, are always borne by the applicant.
Can you leave behind your homeland and make a complete turnaround in your life? Can you resign from your job, detach your children from their school and friends, and relocate to the other side of the world where no one knows you? Have you saved hundreds of thousands of crowns to survive the first few months in the USA where you will start from scratch? Will you accept that you won’t return home for at least a year, and only for a vacation? If you answered “no” to any of these questions, do not apply for the lottery.
The motto “it’s not the winning, it’s the taking part that counts” is not applicable here. From my experience, you either will not secure a green card in the final round or you will not be able to settle in the USA. Moreover, it will cost you a tremendous amount of time, money, effort, and mental strength. Also, it is futile to run to the USA to escape financial problems in your own country.
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How to Apply for the USA Green Card Lottery
The only official website for receiving applications for the USA Green Card Lottery is state.gov. It is run by the USA government and there is no cost to fill it out.
You may encounter other websites on Google and elsewhere that pretend to be official, charging up to hundreds of dollars to fill out an application there. At best, the operator of these sites will do nothing more than submit your application through the official site. These fraudulent sites often carry labels such as “Visa Expert”, “Visa Agent”, or “Visa Consultant”. The easiest way to identify them is by a browser address that is not state.gov.
I strongly recommend avoiding unofficial green card lottery intermediaries.
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When is the USA Green Card Lottery?
The numbering of the lottery is somewhat confusing. The year refers to the fiscal year of the USA government, not the year applications are received.
Abbreviation Lottery Designation Receipt of Entries Announcement of Results DV-2021 Diversity Visa Lottery 2021 2 Oct-5 Nov 2019 from May 5, 2020 DV-2022 Diversity Visa Lottery 2022 7 Oct-10 Nov 2020 from May 8, 2021 DV-2023 Diversity Visa Lottery 2023 6 Oct-9 Nov 2021 from May 7, 2022 DV-2024 Diversity Visa Lottery 2024 5 Oct-8 Nov 2022 from May 6, 2023 DV-2025 Diversity Visa Lottery 2025 4 Oct – 7 Nov 2023 from May 4, 2023 DV-2026 Diversity Visa Lottery 2026 October 2024? from May 2024? Each year, at the beginning and end of the season, the website tends to be overloaded or entirely unavailable. I suggest completing the application form perhaps in the middle of the period as it won’t affect the probability of being drawn.
Never submit two or more entries simultaneously, as this will result in automatic exclusion from the lottery.
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Terms and Conditions of the 2023 Green Card Lottery (DV-2025)
Nationality
Citizens of most countries worldwide are eligible to participate in DV-2025.
However, citizens of countries from which more than 50,000 people have emigrated to the USA over the past five years are not eligible. These countries include Brazil, China, Canada and Mexico. Compared to DV-2024, the lottery is now open to citizens of the UK and its territories.Applicants from ineligible countries may apply through their spouse, provided they meet all the requirements.
Education
The minimum education required is a successfully completed high school diploma. An educational certificate is not sufficient. While vocational schools fulfill the requirement of at least 12 years of continuous study, they do not equate to high school.
Holders of an apprenticeship certificate may participate in the lottery if they have accumulated at least 2 years of work experience in a field requiring at least 2 years of training or experience within the last 5 years. The USA Department of Labor’s O*Net Online database has the final say.
All eligibility requirements must be met at the time of completing the application. Those graduating in the spring of 2024 must wait until the fall of 2024.
Passport
A valid passport must be in hand when completing the application. Some of the information from this passport is transcribed into the application form.
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Tips for the 2023 Green Card Lottery (DV-2025)
- After submitting your application, take a screenshot of the confirmation page and email the image to yourself or save it to the cloud. No confirmation email will be sent.
- An entrant may submit only one entry for the DV-2025 lottery. Anyone who completes two or more entries will be disqualified from the drawing.
- Married couples can increase their chances of being drawn by each completing their own entry form.
- In fiscal year 2025, 55,000 visas will be available.
- The application form must be filled out in English, without accents or diacritics.
- The lottery entry form’s photo must have a minimum resolution of 600×600 px (maximum 1,200×1,200 px), be up to 240 kB in size, and meet all other requirements. You can take your photo anywhere against a white wall; there’s no need to visit a photographer.
- Thoroughly read the Diversity Visa Lottery DV 2025 rules.
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Green Card Lottery Results 2023 (DV-2025)
You will be able to check the status of your submitted application starting Saturday, May 4, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. at state.gov. You will need to know the application number (Confirmation Number) to ascertain the status. If you lose it, you can restore access by clicking the “Forgot Confirmation Number” button.
Do not delete the screenshot with the confirmation number after this date. In the past, it has occasionally occurred that the login status has changed. I advise you to check the status intermittently until September 30, 2025.
Those who successfully complete the entire process can anticipate receiving a green card sometime in 2025.
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USA Green Card Lottery FAQs
Where Should I Take My Photo According to USA Requirements?
You only need to be moderately tech-savvy, and you can take your picture at home against a white wall. If you’re unsure, visit a professional photographer and show them the instructions.
I Don’t Speak English. Can I Fill Out the Application Form in My Native Language?
If you’re unable to complete a fairly basic form in English, settling in the USA might not be for you. Start improving your English skills first and maybe try again in a few years.
I Don’t Have Substantial Savings. Should I Still Apply?
No, it’s not advisable. The process of acquiring a green card is lengthy and challenging in many ways. It will cost you time, money, and patience, and you may not even get the card. While you can apply for the lottery for free, the participant pays for all related expenses: medical exam, processing fees, and the first year of living in the USA. A sufficient amount of money (or a USA sponsor) is required during the process. In addition, you are not eligible for financial assistance from the government for the first year of living in America.
How Much Does It Cost to Live in the USA?
There’s no simple answer as it depends on the location and lifestyle. While Hawaii, California, or New York are appealing places, they are also extremely expensive. On the other end of the scale are Arkansas, Kentucky, or Mississippi. Estimates are in the mid-hundreds of thousands.
Can Children Participate in the USA Green Card Lottery?
Yes, all unmarried children under the age of 21 are eligible.
What Education Should I List?
Please indicate your highest level of completed education on the application, based on U.S. equivalents:
- Primary school only = Elementary school
- High school, no degree = High school without a diploma
- High School Degree = High School with a diploma
- Vocational School = Vocational Secondary School
- Some University Courses = Bachelor’s Degree Incomplete
- University Degree = Bachelor’s Degree
- Some Graduate Level Courses = Unfinished Master’s or Engineering Degree
- Master’s Degree = Master’s or Engineering Degree
- Some Doctorate Level Courses = Unfinished Doctorate
- Doctorate Degree = Doctorate
When Will the 2023 Green Card Lottery (DV-2025) Take Place?
The official information isn’t available yet. However, it can be assumed that applications will be accepted from early October 2023 to early November 2023.
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How Many People Are Participating in the Diversity Visa Lottery?
The number varies from year to year, mainly influenced by the global economic and security situations. The US State Department provides some insights.
Are you participating in the USA green card lottery this year? Feel free to share your experiences or ideas on how to get a foothold in the USA in the discussion. I wish good luck to those who are serious about the lottery. :-)
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