Diversity Immigrant Visa (green card lottery)
An annual lottery offering a limited number of permanent residence places to nationals of countries with low recent immigration to the United States. Free to enter, and the only major route needing neither an employer nor a family member.
Who it is for. Nationals of eligible countries with a secondary education or qualifying work experience.
Worth knowing. Nationals of countries that have sent large numbers of immigrants to the United States in recent years are excluded, and the excluded list changes annually. Entry is free and only through the official State Department site during the registration period; every paid service claiming to improve your odds is a scam.
- Income required
- Not stated
- Savings required
- Not stated
- Investment required
- None
- Application fee
- Not stated
- Processing time
- 365–730 days
- Permission lasts
- —
- Permanent residence
- Not via this route
- Citizenship
- After 5 years
Not renewable
Sources
Worth knowing. Nationals of countries that have sent large numbers of immigrants to the United States in recent years are excluded, and the excluded list changes annually. Entry is free and only through the official State Department site during the registration period; every paid service claiming to improve your odds is a scam.
Check this against
- U.S. Visas — categories, interviews and reciprocity (opens in a new tab)U.S. Department of State — Bureau of Consular Affairs · Foreign ministry