The 2012 DV lottery is very exciting for the tens of thousands of people who hope to enter the United States through the diversity visa lottery system. This system was established in 1990 as a way to allow legal immigration from countries that do not have a large immigration rate to the United States. Being drawn in the lottery does not automatically imply obtaining a visa, but it is a great step in the right direction! Here’s everything you need to know to get started in the 2012 green card lottery.
What is it?
The Diversity Visa Lottery is a lottery designed to allow 50,000 residents of other countries to come legally to the United States. “Diversity” refers to the different countries that people come from. These are countries that have a low rate of immigration to the US, and the visas need to be distributed very widely among the different countries. The number of people who can enter from each country or region is calculated based on the number of participants that country sent the previous year.
How does it work?
Well, you have to apply first. Green card lottery applications are not particularly difficult, but it is very important that they be filled out directly. You can register online through the US Department of State, or you can find green card lottery assistance at a company or agency that specializes in applications. These companies do not increase your chances of being drawn in the lottery, but they do reduce the chances that your application will be disqualified because you did something wrong with it.
Once your application is submitted, a computer extracts random application numbers to select who can proceed to the next step in the process. If you are selected in the diversity visa lottery, you will receive a letter from the US Department of State with this interesting information.
That letter is not a green card nor does it guarantee that you will receive a green card. Remember, the stakes are high for the DV 2012 lottery, and several thousand more applicants will be selected in the lottery than actually receive a visa. This is because the next step is an interview that verifies the authenticity of the information in the application, as well as the eligibility of the applicants themselves.
If I am selected, what do I do?
If your name is drawn, your letter from the State Department will provide detailed instructions on what to do next. It is vitally important that you follow these instructions accurately and quickly. Remember, the program is limited to 50,000 participants per lottery year. If other people follow and complete the follow-up steps and are approved before you, you may not get a visa even if you are eligible.
The green card lottery is a really exciting program. It offers the opportunity for many new faces to come to the United States from dozens of different countries and cultural backgrounds. If you hope to enter the US through this program, make sure you are proactive and accurate. And good luck to you.
