The Diversity Immigration Visa program, or more commonly known as the “green card lottery” was established by the Immigration Act of 1990 signed into law by 41st President of the United States George H. W. Bush. The program is administered by the Department of States and conducted under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The program opens to 55,000 slots for immigrant visas annually with the goal of diversifying the immigrant population in the United States. The program aims to select applicants from countries with low numbers of immigrants in the previous five years. The chance of selection is less than 1 in 200 with more than 11 million applicants applying each year.
Applicants may send in their completed entry form on the Department of State website, free of any charge. Though applicants are chosen at random, the few lucky selected individual must pay a fee to continue the process. Though it is stated that up to 55,000 slots are available, the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (NACARA) program often reserve 5,000 of the visas for their own use. Initially at launch, the lottery was only administered by mail, but starting in 2005, the entry form were moved to an online system.
To be eligible for the lottery, applicants must meet have been born in an eligible country. If an applicant is selected, they must past a background check which consist of general education and work experience. Applicant most have completed at least a high school education or at least two years of work experience. In addition, applicants must also pass any general health requirement or criminal background check.
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