Green card lottery
Among the various existing ways to obtain the green card , you can try your luck by participating in the lottery.
Each year, approximately 50,000 people around the world obtain a Green card thanks to the American administration’s lottery. You can easily participate in this lottery by registering online on the Internet. Secure your application as soon as possible to avoid missing the registration deadline.
Registration for the Green card lottery
Regardless of the site you use to register, winning a green card thanks to the annual lottery organized by the US Citizenship and Immigration Service requires going through different stages:
Your eligibility
You must be born in an eligible country for the current year, such as France. The United States, wishing to maintain a mix within the immigrant population, does not issue green cards to nationals of countries for which many visas have been granted over the past 5 years. In 2021, nationals of the following countries were not allowed to apply for the lottery: England, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, China, Scotland, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea and Vietnam.
In order to be eligible, you must also have a bachelor’s degree or, failing that, have occupied during the last 5 years a position lasting 2 years or more, requiring a level of training or experience of at least 2 years.
Your registration
To apply for your Green card, you will need to complete a questionnaire and send a photo dating back less than 6 months, in the format indicated. Once the form is validated, you can no longer make changes to it. Any mistake made leads to the elimination of your application, so remember to reread your answers.
The questions relate to your:
- Civil status ;
- Place of residence;
- Email and phone details;
- Level of studies ;
- Family situation ;
- Valid passport (since 2020) .
Since 2020, applicants are required to have a valid and unexpired passport to be able to submit electronically
the entry form. Previously, potential immigrants did not need a valid passport to register.
Lottery results for the green card
The results are posted annually on the Internet. To access it, log in using the username you created during registration. You will then know if you are selected or not. In the event of a positive response, a number will be communicated to you, it corresponds to the order of study of your file. Note that the selection interviews take place until September each year, then unconfirmed visas are redistributed.
If you are not drawn as part of the lottery, several solutions are available to you:
- you can try your luck again the following year;
- attempt to obtain the Green card through work , or investment in the United States, or otherwise by obtaining your permanent visa through your marriage to a United States citizen ;
- turn to a american visa ;
- opt for ESTA , a simple and quick procedure, directly accessible on the Internet.
For a stay of less than 90 days in the United States: It is not necessary to obtain a Green card. You can simply apply for ESTA online. ESTA is an Electronic Travel Authorization issued by the United States and valid for stays of less than 90 days. To obtain your certificate in a few minutes click on online form.