This article is going to take you through everything you need to know about American lottery in Ghana.
The Diversity Visa Lottery is a scheme or program administered by the American Department of the State that aims to diversify and increase the number of immigrants allowed to come to the United States.
The program allows around 50,000 randomly selected people entry into the United States every year. These people are mostly chosen from nations where the United States does not receive many immigrants.
These people are then allowed permanent residency in the United States, or what most people refer to as the acquisition of ‘Green Card.’
The Diversity Lottery is how people would have had no legal way of coming to the United States to attain a green card legally.
The program was established by the Immigration Act of 1990 to maintain diversity and increase the number of immigrants who made their way to the United States each year.
Before then, most immigrants in the United States always seemed to come from a handful of nations.
Due to this, the Diversity visa was put in place to increase immigrants from other countries with a low number of immigrants coming to the United States.
This program is administered and run by the United States Department. The department operates the Lottery and then notifies the people who win the Lottery after the selection has been made.
Winning the Diversity Visa Lottery is a fantastic opportunity for many, and for those who are residing outside the United States, the process typically involves the same State Department.
However, it’s essential to note that this program may face potential pauses or changes, as some proposals to Congress are under consideration, although no final decisions have been made yet.
To apply for the Diversity Visa Lottery, the process is relatively simple and doesn’t require any payment.
The application period typically runs from October through November each year. The selection of winners is entirely random, carried out by a computer system.
Once a person wins the lottery, they not only receive a Green Card for themselves but also for their immediate family, which includes spouses and unmarried children under the age of 21.
Eligibility for the Diversity Visa program is determined by the country of birth. To qualify, a person must come from a country that has sent fewer than 50,000 immigrants to the United States within the last five years.
The list of eligible countries is periodically reviewed, and nations with significant immigration flows to the United States, such as Canada, Mexico, China, India, and the UK, usually do not qualify.
However, there are ways to bypass this restriction and still apply for the Diversity Visa Lottery:
- Marriage to an Eligible Country Native: If you are married to someone from an eligible country, you can apply for the program using your spouse’s country of birth on the application form.
- Use Your Parent’s Country: If neither of your parents is a legal resident of your country of birth, you can choose one of your parent’s countries as your own for the application.
Additionally, anyone applying for the Diversity Visa Lottery must meet certain educational or work experience requirements.
They should have at least a high school diploma or equivalent. If not, they must have a minimum of two years of work experience in a job that demands at least two years of training, all within the past five years.
It’s important to note that individuals who are married to a U.S. citizen may also apply for a Green Card but may have a better chance of success by pursuing a marriage-based Green Card.
This provides an alternative path to obtaining lawful permanent residency in the United States.
Requirements Needed When Applying For The Diversity Visa Lottery
Some specific requirements must have before they can apply to fill the form for the green card lottery, and these are:
- Name- you must provide your name on the form to precisely fill how the name appears on your passport.
- Gender- you will also be required to fill in your gender.
- Birthdate- your date of birth will also have to be filled in.
- City- you will also need to provide the name of the town you were born in a while filling in the form.
- Country- after that, you will now be required to provide the name of the country in which you were born.
- Country of eligibility- you will need to fill this in as well.
- Photograph- recent pictures of you and your immediate family.
- Mail address- you will also need your mailing address.
- Phone number- you can provide your phone number as well, but that is not compulsory to do so.
- Email- you will provide your email address as well.
- Education- your highest level of education will also have to be provided.
- Marital status- you will be required to provide your marital status and past marital status if you are not married.
- The number of your children and their information. These are for only your children under the age of 21.
How To Apply For American Immigrant Lottery In Ghana
- Visit https://dvprogram.state.gov/ and fill in the forms mentioned above, such as full name, gender, date of birth, and many more.
- Upon completion, you will be given your unique confirmation number. Keep it in a secure place because that is what you are going to check if you were selected or not.
How To Know If You Have Been Selected Among The Winners??
- Visit the website https://dvprogram.state.gov/ and click on Check Status.
- Now type in your confirmation number, your first and last name, and years of birth, solve the captcha, and then click on Submit.
- After loading, you will get to know if you were among the 50000 who qualified for the DV lottery, or if you will have to try next time.
Conclusion
The Diversity Visa Lottery is a pivotal program that plays a crucial role in diversifying the immigrant population in the United States.
By providing an opportunity for individuals from various countries to obtain immigrant visas through a lottery system, the program fosters a more inclusive and varied composition of newcomers to the U.S.
This initiative not only enriches the cultural fabric of the nation but also underscores the commitment to welcoming individuals from different backgrounds and promoting diversity within the immigrant community.
It provides individuals from countries with lower rates of immigration the chance to establish permanent residency and pursue the American dream.
This program is an excellent opportunity for those who have struggled to find legal ways to come to the United States and attain a Green Card.