Lottery "Green Card" in questions and answers

Фото: Depositphotos

Green Card Lottery - one way to immigrate in the US, accessible to almost everyone. By and large, all you need is luck - the computer system chooses your application.

ForumDaily previously gave detailed instructionshow to fill out a form to participate in the lottery, and told five stories of people who won the green card.

Now we will answer a few frequently asked questions about the Green Card-2020 lottery.

Read the latest information on the topic:

Green Card Draw Results: Tips and Rules

What to do after winning the Green Card Lottery: step by step instructions

Immigration to the USA: five stories of people who won the green card

Where can I register for the Green Card Lottery?

Registration will take place on the official lottery website: https://www.dvlottery.state.gov.

Fill out the form for participation in this drawing and all subsequent ones are needed ONLY on the official website of the US Department of State www.dvlottery.state.gov. Please note: the site must have the .gov extension - sites with similar addresses have already appeared on the Internet, but with the .com and .org extensions. They are intermediaries or fraudsters.

Also on this site you can find detailed instructions by filling out the questionnaire in English. there is Ukrainian translation и Uzbek.

The questionnaire is quite simple, and it usually takes 15-20 minutes to fill out.

IMPORTANT: If you do not have time to fill in an hour, the system will reboot, and all entered data will disappear - you will have to fill it all over again.

IMPORTANT: Only one form can be sent per year. If you fill it in twice, you will be disqualified.

How much is registration?

Filling out and submitting a questionnaire is FREE. Only if you win and will receive a green card will you have to pay a consular fee for an immigration visa.

Which countries participate in the Green Card Lottery?

People born in all countries of the former Soviet Union can take part in the raffle. At the same time, it is necessary to indicate the current name of the country: Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, etc. Applications for the Green Card are not accepted from those countries from which more than 5 thousand people immigrated to previous 50 years. These are countries such as Mexico, Pakistan, China, Colombia, India, the United Kingdom and others.

A total of 50 thousand green cards will be issued. A small part of people is eliminated during the registration of an immigration visa, so more than 50 thousands of people are always selected. The reverse side of the coin - there is a possibility that there may not be enough visas for all. Therefore, in the event of receiving notification of a win, it is important to begin the visa process as soon as possible.

Can I apply for the lottery while in the USA?

Yes you can. It is not important what country you are in or what is your citizenship now, but where you were born.

Anna Rudnaya from Russia was in San Francisco when registration for the Green Card-2017 lottery began. “This is my second attempt,” she admits. - Before that, I already filled out a questionnaire with my sister. Sister won, I do not.

Anna filled out the questionnaire on the official website dvlottery.state.gov. In the column "The country where you live now" chose United States of America. For sending the questionnaire paid nothing.

Anna Rudnaya filled out a green card questionnaire while in the USA. Photos from the personal archive

Who can participate in the lottery?

Key requirements for 2 members:

• born in a lottery country (as written above, all countries of the former Soviet Union and Israel participate in the program);

• have completed secondary education or 2 years of work experience during the last 5 years in a specialty that requires 2-year vocational training.

Documentary evidence of education or work experience does not need to be attached to a registration application, but they will need to be shown to the consular officer during an interview for an immigration visa.

If you are unable to prove education or work experience, your application will be disqualified even after winning.

And if there is no completed secondary education (not finished school)?

If there is no completed secondary education, then you need to prove that there is work experience. And you need to work in a profession that requires at least 2 year of prior professional training. To determine whether your level of education or training meets these requirements, you can use the US Department of Labor database. O * Net OnLine. In it, all specialties are divided into 5 groups (“Job Zone”). If you do not have completed secondary education, you need to show that at least 2 of the year for the last 5 years you have worked in a position that corresponds to the 4 or 5 group, and also that you have a level not lower than 7.0 in vocational classification (SVP - Special Vocation Preparation).

The check algorithm looks like this:

1. Select Find Occupation, then click on the Job Family.

2. From the list that appears, select a profession category and click Go.

3. Choose a specific specialty.

4. In the Job Zone section, see the group number and SVP level.

For example, select Computer and Mathematical. In the Job Family list, click on your specialty, for example, Computer Programmers. In the Job Zone section you will see Job Zone Four, SVP Range 7.0 to <8.0. This means that the specialty Computer Programmers allows you to participate in the "Green Card-2017" program.

The inscription "Job Zone Four" means that a representative of this profession can take part in the lottery. Screen shot from the US Department of Labor website

Who should be included in the application for a green card?

It is necessary to indicate a husband or wife, regardless of whether you live together or not, and whether your spouse is going to go with you to America. No need to specify only the deceased and former spouses.

You also need to specify all unmarried children under the age of 21 of the year - relatives, adopted children and children from previous marriages of the spouse, even if they do not plan to move. Do not include only children who are already permanent residents or citizens of the United States.

Parents, as well as brothers and sisters, do not need to be included in the questionnaire - the lottery still does not allow them to be taken to the USA.

If you do not indicate any of the closest family members, you will be disqualified during your visa application - neither you nor any of your relatives will receive a green card.

Exception - if the replenishment in your family happened already after you sent the application. For example, you have a baby or you are married.

Can a husband and wife apply at the same time?

Yes, both family members can submit a separate questionnaire if each of them meets the requirements. Thus, a couple can increase their chances of winning. If one of them wins, the spouse receives a green card as a member of the family.

Yuri and Elena Krytsyn from Russia submitted the questionnaire together. As a result, a lucky spouse.

“My husband won the green card on the first try. First, he went to America, found work and housing, and then came and took us, ”says Elena. The couple works in the field of IT, so I decided to move to California, closer to Silicon Valley.

Elena Krytsyna received a green card thanks to a winning husband. Photos from the personal archive

Can I add an old photo to my profile?

Not. The photo must be taken within the previous 6 months and show how you look now. For example, if you were a blonde with long hair 3 a month ago, and then suddenly decided to change your image dramatically - you cut your hair short and dyed black, you should be a brunette with a short haircut in the photo.

The same requirements apply to photographs of all family members that you indicate in the application form, including the youngest.

Elena Krytsyna was pregnant when she and her husband were served on a green card. When they learned that they won a cherished visa, a child has already appeared in the family. The couple had to send information about the baby, including making his photo. Elena and her husband had to sweat a lot to capture the restless baby. “My husband took a white sheet, I put the child on her and amused him, and he, like a monster, stood over him and took pictures,” Elena laughs.

A more detailed description of the requirements for photography can be found in our previous publication. Additionally, here You can customize your photo to the right proportions.

How to understand that the application is accepted?

After you fill out the questionnaire and click the Submit button, you should receive a notification with the confirmation number. You definitely need to save it - without it you won’t know if you won a green card or not.

How not to get caught by scammers?

The US State Department is urging all participants not to allow outsiders to send a questionnaire to you for the green card. Moreover, a person can fill it, even with a minimal level of knowledge of the English language, especially with detailed instructions ForumDaily. Numerous intermediaries, who everywhere offer their services to fill out forms, can create many difficulties, or even simply deceive. Even if you decide to use their services, remember: you must be present during the process of filling out the questionnaire and be sure to get a unique confirmation number. On it you can later check to see if you were selected to participate in the program or not.

If the confirmation number is left to the intermediary, the consequences may be very different: you may not know what you won at all, or if you win, you will begin to extort a considerable amount to tell you the necessary code.

How to find out if I won the green card or not?

Starting from 7 May 2019, using your confirmation number, you can check the status of the application on the website www.dvlottery.state.gov. This is the only way to learn about the results of the lottery.

The State Department will not send any electronic or regular letters.

The only email you can receive from the US Department of State is a reminder to check your status after the lottery. Moreover, the official institution never asks to make money transfers. Be especially attentive if you submitted an application through an intermediary.

Does the US government help with relocation, housing and work in case of a win?

Not. This is the task of the person who received the green card. In this case, you still need to prove that after moving to the United States you will not qualify for social assistance. Therefore, you will need to either find a job, or get financial support from a person living in America, or prove that you have the savings you need in life in the States.

It is important to remember: winning a green card is only half the battle, the main thing is how you can realize yourself in America. For example, read the story Hollywood producer Valerie Philwhich won the green card in the lottery and did not want to move for a long time.

However, remember that in addition to the “Green Card” lottery, there are at least nine other ways stay in the USA for permanent residence.

In each case, you need to go through to get a green card. medical check and interview. In addition, everyone who came to the United States should make a few basic documents: arrange bank cards, social security number and US ID.

Read also on ForumDaily:

How to get a green card after tightening immigration policy: a lawyer answered readers' questions ForumDaily

How to fill in the form on the green card: detailed instructions

October 3 launched the Green Card Lottery: what to do

How an immigrant can get an education in the USA: Global Professional Consulting experts answered questions from ForumDaily readers

The categories of persons who receive the green card the longest

Four reasons why you can be deprived of a green card

What limitations can be encountered when obtaining political asylum in the United States

The owner of the green card received a term for voting in elections

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