Applications to enter the DV-2019 program (Green Card Lottery 2019) will be accepted by the U.S. Department of State between “Wednesday, October 18, 2017 at 12:00 noon, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (GMT-4), and Wednesday, November 22, 2017 at 12:00 noon, Eastern Standard Time (EST) (GMT-4)”.
Under this DV lottery program, commonly known as the green card lottery or the diversity visa lottery program, 50,000 immigrant visas will be made available to a category of immigrants known as “diversity immigrants.” The diversity immigrants usually are the ones who belong to countries that have not sent many immigrants to the U.S. Anyone who belongs to an eligible country can register for this program at no cost.
Apply for the Green Card Lottery Program
However, belonging to an eligible country alone will not make a person eligible for the lottery. Applicants will have to meet the age and the education or the work experience requirements.
A computer will randomly pick the winners of the lottery. Winners who are deemed eligible will receive their immigrant visas after they appear for interviews and undergo the required medical examination. Immigrant visas will be issued to people belonging to six geographical regions equally and no single country will receive more number of visas than the other. Usually, every eligible country receives around seven percent of the available diversity immigrant visas.
Eligibility requirements have not changed this year and the same countries that were ineligible for the lottery last year are still in the list of DV lottery ineligible countries. Following are the countries on the ineligible list.
“Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (mainland-born), Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, South Korea, United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, and Vietnam.”
Similar to the previous years, applications to enter the lottery program can be filed online at dvlottery.state.gov. Applicants must make sure that their entries are complete.
Register for green card lottery 2019.
Resources:
How does the green card lottery program work?
Green Card Through the Green Card Lottery Program
To-Do List for the Green Card Lottery 2018 Winners
How can Green Card Lottery Help a Person Win U.S. Citizenship?
Next Step After Winning the Green Card Lottery
Green Card Lottery Helped Brazilian Immigrant Live His American Dream