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(CNN Spanish) — The United States Department of State is this week opening the 2024 Diversity Visa Program for Immigrants, also known as the “Visa Lottery,” bidding.
This program benefits more than 55,000 people from low-migration countries to the United States and is a pathway to legal citizenship in the United States.
Here’s what you need to know about applying for the 2024 Visa Lottery program.
What is the “Visa Lottery”?
Officially known as the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, this program grants up to 55,000 people per year a visa or green card that allows its holder permanent residency in the United States and allows those individuals in the future to potentially obtain American citizenship to obtain .
How does it work?
Individuals from certain countries that have a sufficiently low rate of immigration to the United States may apply for a visa at certain times each year. Most lottery winners live outside of the United States, but some are legally in the country on other types of visas.
Under the statutory formula, countries that have had more than 50,000 native immigrants to the United States in the past five years are not eligible.
The visas are further distributed by region: Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America, Central America and the Caribbean. The program is implemented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Although individuals are randomly selected for the visas, they must still meet the security and eligibility requirements that all immigrants must meet in order to obtain their visas.
Registration date for 2024
For the 2024 program, registration opens Wednesday at 12:00 p.m. ET. October 5, 2022 until Tuesday noon November 8, 2022.
Registration must be done through the State Department’s website dvprogram.state.gov.
The State Department recommends that each person fill out the form themselves and not through agents or consultants; and if someone helps you with the registration, they recommend that you be present.
The Department of State does not charge a fee to enroll in this program. After completing the form, you must keep the unique confirmation number and save the registration confirmation page as this is necessary to check the status of the application.
Beginning May 6, 2023, you can check the status of your registration at dvprogram.state.gov using the unique confirmation number and your personal information.
Which countries can apply for the Diversity Visa Program?
The countries that are eligible to apply for the Diversity Visa Program are those that have had fewer than 50,000 native immigrants to the United States in the past five years.
across the American continent WILL BE ABLE TO APPLYincluding citizens of:
- Argentina
- Bolivia
- chili
- Costa Rica
- Cuba
- Ecuador
- Guatemala
- Nicaragua
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Uruguay
View the full list of countries eligible to apply to the program.
For the period 2024 YOU ARE NOT ELIGIBLE the citizens of:
- Bangladesh
- Brazil
- Canada
- China (including Hong Kong)
- Colombia
- Dominican Republic
- The saviour
- Haiti
- Honduras
- India
- Jamaica
- Mexico
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Philippines
- South Korea
- United Kingdom (Excluding citizens of Northern Ireland and its dependent territories
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
Which conditions do I have to fullfill?
Specifically, diversity visa program beneficiaries must have a minimum of } high school education or equivalent education and have at least two years of experience in a job that requires at least two years of education or experience within five years of joining as of the date of request. They must also be legal for the USA. Categories of inadmissibility for the US broadly include ties to terrorism.
The process also includes a face-to-face interview.
“In order to immigrate, individuals selected by DV must be licensed in the United States,” according to a State Department information pamphlet for applicants.
The DS-260 form, which is the online alien registration and immigrant visa application, and the consular agent who will interview you in person will ask you questions about your eligibility to immigrate under US law. These questions include issues related to crime and safety.
For more information, visit the official website of the Department of State and the Visa Diversity Program.
Some common login errors
- Do not apply if you do not have the required minimum level of education
- Do not perform the process more than once, the system is very sophisticated and will disqualify you if it finds that you have made more than one request.
- Always check that you have spelled your names, surnames and personal information correctly and do not pay anyone who promises you wonderful results.
- If you fill out the form, do so immediately, you must not save the information to continue later. You only have 60 minutes to fill out the information.
- Enroll all of your immediate family, spouse, and children under the age of 21, even if they don’t live with you or plan to travel to the United States with you.
- If you’re single and going for an interview, don’t convince anyone to marry you to give them a visa.
- Do not send photos older than six months.
To see more common errors, click here.