Requirements Who can participate?

Requirements

Who can participate?

Basically everybody can win a green card in the official DVLottery. The only exceptions are persons born in a country with a very high rate of emigration into the US.

One’s country of citizenship is not important in this process. What is most important is the country of your birth, in accordance with current world political maps

Excluded Countries

Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, (People’s Republic of) China (mainland born, except Taiwan and Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR), Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, South Korea, United Kingdom/Great Britain (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, and Vietnam.

Individuals who were born in any of the above-mentioned excluded countries may apply if their spouses were born in one of the DV-2015-eligible countries, or if the individuals were born in an excluded country while parents (both not born in this excluded country) of said individuals were only temporary residents of the excluded, non-eligible countries.

Other Conditions

The only other requirement is a certification of completion of secondary school education (comparable to the US high school diploma) or a minimum of two years’ work experience (within the past five years) in a profession which requires at least two years of training. Proof of these prerequisites are only necessary when and if a lottery participant wins a GreenCard. They are not necessary when you are simply submitting the application.

Further Requirements

12 years of high-school
or
its equivalent
or
job training

RECOMMENDATION:

If you do not have the equivalent of a high school degree and are not sure if your job "requires two years of training" you should check the US Department’s of State Online Database ONET by clicking here. Type in your profession and click on "Summary". You will find an analysis on how many years of experience in your job are needed in the chapter "Job Zone > Overall Experience"

ATTENTION: List your family members correctly

You must list your partner/spouse (if you are married) and all your children under 21 years on your DVLottery application. Your spouse´s children must be listed too! Photos must be provided of all family members on the application!

This does not mean that all family members have to immigrate to the US. After winning, the principal applicant can decide who to take along or not! However, all family members must be listed on the initial DVLottery  application to avoid disqualification!