Visa Lottery Instructions

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Greencard - US / Irish Immigration Questions

Visa Lottery Instructions

October 10, 2007

By Debbie McGoldrick

Visa Lottery Instructions LEGAL residents of the U.S. – and we emphasize legal – and all others living abroad should take note that the entry period for the annual DV-1 diversity visa lottery, also known as the Schumer visa program, especially in Irish circles, began on Wednesday, October 3, concluding at noon on Sunday, December 2.

As in previous years, all entries must be submitted electronically via the State Department’s special website at www.dvlottery.state.gov. The lottery offers 50,000 green cards on an annual basis to applicants from all countries except the following:

Brazil, Canada, China (mainland born), Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Pakistan, Philippines, Peru, Poland, Russia, South Korea, United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland), and Vietnam.

(Those countries are excluded from the lottery because they’ve sent at least 50,000 legal immigrants to the U.S. during the past five years.)

All other natives of qualifying countries can apply, provided they have the equivalent of a U.S. high school education, or two years of work experience in a field requiring at least that, in the last five years.

As far as defining the word “native,” for lottery purposes it means a few things. Either the applicant must be born in a qualifying country, or if a native of a non-qualifying country is married to someone born in a qualifying country, the spouse can claim this country as his/her own. Also, if one was born in a non-qualifying country to parents who were born in a qualifying country, and if the parents did not establish residency in the land of birth, then the applicant can claim chargeability to the land of the parents’ birth.

Other rules to remember – only one entry per person. Any more than one and the person will be dis-qualified from the lottery. Married couples can include the other on each application, all of which is explained in the procedures available at http://www. travel.state.gov/pdf/2009DVInstructions.pdf.

There are also strict photographic requirements on the site that each applicant must adhere to. Applicants will have to submit biographical information – name, date of birth, gender, city/country of birth, mailing address, country of current residence, education level, marital status, and information about any spouse and/or children.

Successful applicants will be notified by U.S. mail between May and July of next year. Unsuccessful entrants will not receive word.

As always, beware of fraudsters and those looking to cash in on the lottery to offer “special” services and “secret” ways to win – for money, of course. There are no application fees to enter the lottery, though the entry requirements could prove difficult for some because internet access is required, and the photo standards are fairly regimented, so a fee for those services would be understandable.

The Irish immigration centers in the U.S. will undoubtedly be available to offer advice and assistance to those in need. The Aisling Irish Center in Yonkers (www.aislingcenter.org), the Emerald Isle Immigration Center in the Bronx and Queens (www.eiic.org) are just two of the agencies that have helped applicants in the past.

And a word to the undocumented – do not, repeat, do not, take part in the lottery because of all kinds of complications that would arise. For further advice, speak to one of the counselors at the aforementioned advice centers.

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