Was your application for the Green Card Lottery DV-2024 successful? If that’s the case, we’ll tell you what steps you need to follow next to get your Green Card. Consider the scenario in which you applied while in the United States.
The first step is to determine whether you fit the Diversity Visa conditions, which are as follows:
- Have a high school graduation or the equivalent, or two years of work experience in the last five years in a vocation requiring at least two years of training.
- You cannot be a native of China, Canada, Bangladesh, Brazil, Mexico, Haiti, Honduras, India, Vietnam, South Korea, the United Kingdom (excluding Northern Ireland), Jamaica, Nigeria, Pakistan, Colombia, the Philippines, or El Salvador.
- You must have a valid passport.
- Meet the basic health (medical examination) and security criteria without putting US national security at risk.
- Have no criminal past or major law infractions convictions.
- You can only enter the DV Lottery once each year. Multiple entries in a single year may result in disqualification.
- If you have legal status in the United States, you can apply for Adjustment of Status (AOS) to become a Permanent Resident. Legal status in the United States can include numerous work visas, tourist visas, and so on.
To apply for AOS, gather and submit the following papers and forms: DV-2024 Lottery winning announcement, passport, birth certificate, marriage certificate (if applicable), Forms I-485, and I-94.
When altering your status, USCIS may contact you for an interview. If you are contacted, you will be told of the date, time, and place of the interview, as well as the documents you must bring. They typically inquire about your immigration history, career and education, family and personal life, and other aspects connected to your change of status in the United States.
You will also be required to produce biometrics and pay fees.
Now, let’s go over how to get a Green Card if your DV-2024 Lottery application was chosen and you are currently outside the United States.
In the previous piece, we discussed the eligibility requirements for acquiring a Green Card through the DV-2024 Lottery. If you meet the requirements and have no problems, you must complete and submit the online DS-260 form.
After completing the DS-260 form, print the confirmation page. This confirmation sheet must be brought to the visa interview.
Once the Kentucky Consular Center (KCC) has processed your DS-260 form, you will get a letter from KCC informing you that you have been scheduled for an interview at the U.S. embassy or consulate that you indicated on your DS-260 form.
The winner of the Green Card Lottery, as well as your spouse and children (if applicable) who are seeking for a diversity visa, are required to attend the interview.
After clearing the interview, you will be granted a diversity visa. When you arrive in the United States, you will also be given a sealed packet of documentation that you must provide to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the port of entry. Do not break the seal on the sealed packet!
The visa you will be given is valid for six months. If your medical examination does not expire sooner, and your visa is valid for fewer than six months, you have that much time to enter the United States.
The DV-2024 awardees can only apply for a visa in the United States for one fiscal year, which begins on October 1, 2023 and ends on September 30, 2024.
DV-2024 Green Card applicants must alter their status or get a diversity visa by the end of fiscal year 2024. Keep in mind that if you do not utilize your right to acquire a Green Card by September 30, 2024, that right does not continue over to the next year.