Photo requirements for participation in the Green Card Lottery

What does a green card give?

The Green Card in the USA has the official name United States Permanent Resident Card. This is an identity card that confirms that a foreigner has a residence permit.

The document gives the right to:

• residence and employment in any state of the country;
• acquisition of real estate;
• public school education;
• service in certain branches of the United States Armed Forces;
• receiving benefits and allowances.

Over time, the green card holder can apply for American citizenship.

There are several ways to obtain a document:

• marry a US citizen / marry an American;
• reunite with a relative;
• come to work at the invitation of an American employer;
• obtain refugee status;
• invest in the country's economy;
• take part in the lottery draw.

What advantages do Green Card holders have?

After officially obtaining a US green card, its holder immediately receives the following privileges:

• Bring relatives to America.
• Apply for a job.
• Preferential mortgage.
• Travel within the country without restrictions.
• Travel around the world.
• Legally reside in American territory.
• Protection of American legislation.
• Discounts and grants for training.
• Advantageous loans with reduced interest rates.
• The right to open a business.
• Obtain American citizenship.
• Guarantee of pension and social benefits.
• Discounts on insurance.

If you comply with the laws and rules of staying in the United States, then 5 years after receiving a Green Card you can apply for American citizenship. Until this point, the immigrant retains the citizenship of his country.

Briefly about the DV program

The Diversity Immigrant Visa (DV) Lottery is an immigrant visa program. The annual Green Card drawing begins, as a rule, in October of the current year - with the submission of an application on the official website of the US State Department. The winners are then determined by random selection using a computer, whose names can be found out in May of the following year.

Residents of countries with low levels of immigration to the United States - up to 50 thousand people over the last 5 years - can take part in the program. The applicant must meet strict selection criteria, including:

• having completed secondary education (a green card is not available to students after 9th grade) or work experience of at least 2 years (within the last 5 years) in a profession requiring two years of training;
• absence of criminal record and mental illness.

What is the Green Card Lottery?

Green Card is a document that allows you to legally live and work in the United States. You can become its owner by winning the Green Card lottery.

The lottery began to be held in 1994. Every year, the American State Department carries out a lottery draw, based on the results of which 50,000 green cards are drawn. Thanks to immigrants, the country has received an influx of new experience and culture. Each nationality has contributed to the development of the nation.

Video from the official Youtube channel of the US Embassy:

Detailed instructions for filling out an application for a green card

Those who decide to take part in the diversification lottery are recommended to apply in person, without the help of intermediaries. Therefore, you need to know how to fill out the green card application yourself.

You should pay attention to the following nuances:

• The registration process for the program is free;
• The application form is submitted electronically on the website dvlottery.state.gov;
• a participant has the right to submit only one application;
• Having answered all the questions, you need to save the confirmation page with a unique number - without this information it will be impossible to check the status of the application.

You have 30 minutes to fill out the application. Step-by-step instructions for filling out the Green Card application include several steps:

1. First, you need to carefully read the instructions, which contain the deadlines for submitting an application, the basic rules and procedure for filling out, and other important information. To do this, on the Electronic Diversity Visa Lottery page, click on DV-20_ Instructions.

   
   The official version is in English, but there are unofficial translations, including in Russian and Ukrainian.

   
   Then you need to carefully study the requirements for the photo and look at the sample, which will open in a new window after clicking the Photo Examples button. There are also templates and a validator for checking your photo.

   
   To start filling out the application form itself, you need to click on Begin Entry and go to the Electronic Diversity Visa Entry For page. The questionnaire consists of two parts: the first contains personal information about the applicant, the second contains information about the husband (wife) and children. You need to answer fifteen questions. The document is filled out in Latin letters.

2. The first point is first name, last name. If you are in doubt about the correct spelling, look at how they are indicated in your current foreign passport. Many people do not understand what middle name is in a profile. This paragraph applies to those persons who have a double name, for example Anna-Maria or Ivan-James. If the name is standard, check No Middle Name. There is no need to enter your middle name in this column.
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3. In the next column, you must indicate your gender: male or female.

4. The date of birth is entered in this order - month, date, year.

5. The city you were born in is listed on your birth certificate. You need to enter the modern name or indicate the old and new name with a hyphen: Gorkiy-Nizhniy Novgorod. It is important to correctly convey the transcription of geographical names in Latin letters. The English version of Wikipedia.org, maps.google.com or online transliteration will help.

6. The country where you were born is selected from the drop-down list. For those whose country of birth is the USSR, it is necessary to find in the list the state that was formed on the site of the former republic after the collapse of the Soviet Union. For example, RSFSR - Russia, Ukrainian SSR - Ukraine, KSSR - Kazakhstan, BSSR - Belarus, UzSSR - Uzbekistan.

7. If you were born in a country that is eligible to participate in the Diversity Lottery, paragraph 6 – “Country of Eligibility for the DV Program” does not change.

8. Passport details. You must have a valid passport at the time of application. The information specified in the document is entered in paragraph 7. If you do not have a foreign passport, you need to select the reason for the absence of the document in subparagraph B.

9. The applicant’s photograph is uploaded in JPEG format, size – no more than 240 KB, resolution – 600x600px. The photo must be taken no earlier than 6 months before submitting the application.

10. In the Mailing Address item, the In Care Of and Address Line 2 (optional) columns remain blank. The remaining lines indicate the home address: street, city, zip code, country. The region should be entered in the District/County/Province/State column.

11. The country where you reside at the time of application must be selected from the drop-down list. The telephone number is optionally indicated in international format. The email address must be entered in the first line and confirmed in the second.

12. The level of education should be selected from the proposed options. Due to the difference in educational systems, difficulties may arise when filling out this item. Each of the points corresponds to the following educational levels of the Russian Federation and other post-Soviet countries:

• primary school only - primary classes;
• high school, no degree – studied at a secondary school, but did not receive a certificate;
• high school degree – complete secondary education, certificate received;
• vocational school - graduated from a vocational school;
• some university courses – received education at a technical school or incomplete higher education;
• university degree - higher education;
• some graduate level courses – you have received a higher education and continue to study in a master’s program;
• master's degree – have a master's degree;
• some doctorate level courses - postgraduate studies;
• doctorate degree - defended a candidate's or doctorate degree.

  
  13. Marital status is indicated:

• unmarried - not married (not married);
• married and my spouse is NOT a UScitizen or US Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) - married to a person who is not a US citizen;
• married and my spouse IS a UScitizen or US Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) - married to an American citizen;
• divorced - divorced;
• widowed - widower (widow);
• legally separated – separation of spouses by decision of a court. Russians do not choose this option, since there is no such status in the Russian Federation.

  
  14. Enter information about the number of children (under 21 years old, unmarried).

After entering all the data, you must check the entered information and click Continue. If the applicant has a spouse or children, the second part of the application form will open, where you need to enter information about family members. Then you need to click Continue again.

The entered information will appear on the page that opens, which should be carefully checked and errors corrected. If you change your mind about submitting the application, click Cancel Entry.

To submit an application, you must click on Submit Entry. Successful registration will be indicated by a page with a confirmation number and an electronic key, which looks like this:

This data must be saved.

How to prepare a photo for a Green Card

To successfully fill out the application form for the Green Card 2022, it is important to prepare a high-quality photograph that meets all the requirements. There are known cases where participants were disqualified due to an inappropriate photo.

Photos can be taken:

1. In the studio.
   Usually they know the requirements, but just in case you should take the rules with you and provide them to the photographer;
2. At home.
   If you wish, you can take a photo yourself. For this you will need:
   a sheet of white Whatman paper or a sheet for the background. You can take a photo against a white wall.
3. Good lighting
4. Digital camera.
5. Scan a printed photograph.

It makes no difference whether the image was taken independently or in a photo studio. The main thing is that it meets the rules below.

Green Card photo requirements

You can take a new or scan a recent (taken within the last 6 months) digital photograph so that it meets all the requirements listed below.

The photographs uploaded along with the initial application must be of the same quality and composition as the US visa photographs. You can see examples of photos that meet the requirements here.

⛔️ Do not upload a photo that was taken more than 6 months ago, or a photo that does not meet all of the requirements below. ⛔️ Use of photographs that you have already used in previous entries, as well as photographs that have undergone any processing, or photographs that do not meet all of the requirements below will disqualify your entry.

Your photograph or digital image must meet the following requirements:

• Color image;
• In focus;
• The height of the head in the image should be 22-35 mm (1-1-3/8 inches), or 50%-69% of the total height of the photo. The photo should show your entire head, from the top of your head to the bottom of your chin;
• The photo was taken within the last 6 months and corresponds to how you currently look;
• The background of the photo should be white or close to white;
• When taking pictures, look straight into the camera;
• Facial expression should be neutral, eyes open;
• Clothes that appear in the frame should be casual;
• ⛔️ Photos of applicants in uniform will not be accepted. The exception is clothing worn every day for religious reasons;
• ⛔️ Photos of applicants wearing a headdress that hides their hair or hairline will not be accepted. The exception is hats, which are worn every day for religious reasons. The face must be completely visible, the headdress must not obscure the face;
• ⛔️ Photos in which the applicant is depicted with headphones, wireless headsets and similar devices will not be accepted;
• ⛔️ Do not take pictures with GLASSES;
• If you regularly wear hearing aids or similar devices, you can take photos with them.

Check out photo examples on the Photo Examples page.

⛔️ Photos copied or scanned from driver's licenses or other official documents will not be accepted.

⛔️ Also not accepted are household photographs, photographs from magazines, low-quality photographs taken in vending machines or on a mobile phone, as well as photographs taken in full body.

Technical requirements for digital photo:

• The image must be in JPEG (.jpg) format
• Maximum allowed image size 240kB (kilobytes)
• Pixels must be square (image width must be equal to height)
• Acceptable resolution 600 x 600 pixels

Technical requirements for the scanned photo:

If you want to scan a paper photo, in addition to the requirements for digital photos, the paper photo must meet the following requirements:

• 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm)
• Resolution 300 dpi (12 pixels per millimeter)

How to crop a photo yourself

You can use the free photo editor on the State Department website:

1. Select a digital image saved on your computer
2. Resize and position the photo if necessary
3. Cut the photo to the required size 600 x 600 pixels

For those who have skills in working in a photo editor, for example, Adobe Photoshop, we have posted photo templates for preparing photos on their own.

Examples of photographs of adults

HOW TO:

WHAT NOT TO:

Child's photo on Green Card

When photographing babies and young children, make sure that only the child is in the frame. The child must look directly at the camera. The child's eyes should be open.

Tip #1: Place your baby on his back on a white or off-white cloth. This will provide support for the baby's head and the necessary background for the photo. Make sure there is no shadow on the baby's face, especially when holding the camera over a lying baby.

Tip #2: Cover the car seat with a white or off-white fabric and take a photo of your child in the seat. This will also provide support for the baby's head.

Examples of photographs of children

HOW TO:

WHAT NOT TO:

How to check a photo

Before submitting the form, check the photo using the photo validator https://greencardphotocheck.com/ru/

Official requirements for photography (in English)

How to check the status of an application

You can find out the lottery results in May of the following year after submitting your application. To do this, go to dvlottery.state.gov to the participant status check page and click Continue.

A form will appear in which you must enter:

• confirmation number – Confirmation Number;
• last name in English, no need to indicate first name – Last/Family Name;
• year of birth – Year of Birth;
• The symbols in the picture are Authentication.

If a message appears with the phrase Has not been selected in bold, this means that your application was not selected. If you win, a notification appears: You are among those randomly selected for further processing.

Features of the Green Card Lottery

Every year 50,000 Green Cards are drawn. There are 100,000 winners in the drawing. This is done in order to weed out those who did not pass the interview or medical examination during the process of obtaining a migration visa, and some winners do not come to the embassy at all. I receive more than fifty thousand visas, since according to the rules of the lottery the winner has the right to take his wife and minor children with him. The age of majority in the USA is 21 years old.

The lottery is free for the participant, but after winning there are still expenses. And it’s worth preparing for them in advance, they will amount to about 2000-3000 thousand dollars, everything will depend on the place of residence of the winner!

Application deadlines

Applications are submitted in the fall of each year, usually in October, but the exact date becomes known later. Applications can be submitted within one calendar month. For example, if the acceptance of applications began on October 1, it will end on October 30.

We recommend filling out the form in the first days. Usually, by the end of the data submission period, the green card lottery website begins to slow down terribly. This comes from a sharp increase in the flow of participants; not only in Russia they like to leave important matters for later! Therefore, there is a high chance that you simply will not be able to send your data and will miss the chance to emigrate to the USA.

How to fill out the form for the Green Card lottery

Important! The form must be filled out only on the official website, the green card lottery website is dvprogram.state.gov. All other sites have nothing to do with the lottery. Moreover, if you send your data to an intermediary, then if you win, you may be required to pay additional money for the application number; amounts can reach $10,000! Therefore, never leave your data to unknown sites. Below are instructions: how to correctly fill out the form for the Green Card lottery. Going to the official website of the Green Card Lottery, look for the “Entry Form” and click “Begin Entry” .

1. Before filling you will be asked to enter a verification code (pay attention to the time it takes to fill out the form; you must complete the form within 30 minutes)

2. First and last name (First Name - Name, Last/Family Name - surname, Important! Middle Name - middle name, this is not a middle name, so check the box No Moddle Name
   )

3. Gender of the lottery participant ( Male - male, Female - female)
4. Date of birth ( Month - month, Day - day, Year - year)
5. City of birth (Important!
   Write in transliteration).

6. Country of birth (Modern name of the country. If you were born in the RSFSR, then choose Russia)
7. The country from which you are participating in the lottery (Participate from the country of birth, but if your country is not allowed to participate, then you can participate from the country of your spouse, in some cases from the country of birth of your parents, if you participate from the country of birth, then leave the Yes checkbox and move on to the next step).

8. We indicate the details of your foreign passport. The passport must be valid at the time of filling out the application. (For example, your passport is valid until October 10 of the current year, then by filling out the form before the 10th, your application for participation in the Green Card Lottery will be valid). In paragraph A) we indicate the first and last name as in the passport, as well as with the name in the first paragraph, put a tick No Moddle Name. In field Passport Number — indicate the passport number without spaces. In field Passport Expiration Date indicate the date (in the format month, day, year) until which your passport is valid. Further in paragraph Country/Authority of Issuance select the country from which you have a passport. If you do not have a foreign passport, for example, you are a political activist and the authorities do not issue you a foreign passport so that you do not flee the country, then check the box Passport Exemption I am not required to submit passport information because I am: and choose why you don’t have a passport. Stateless (no nationality) - you are a stateless person, A national of a Communist-controlled country, and unable to obtain a passport from my government — you are a citizen of a country controlled by communists, Unable to obtain a passport, and have received an individual waiver of the passport requirement by the Secretary of Homeland Security or Secretary of State - you do not have a passport because you were refused when trying to get one, prepare a document that confirms this, for example, a certified document confirming the refusal to issue a passport indicating the reason.

9. Uploading a photo for Green Card Lottery (Learn more about how to take a photo for the Green Card application)

10. We indicate the contact address (In Care Of - name of whom the address is registered in, Address Line 1 - street, house, building, apartment, if there is not enough space, write the remaining data in Address Line 2, City/Town - locality, District/County/Province/State - region, Postal Code/Zip Code - index, Country - country from the list)

11. Country where you currently live (select from the list)
12. Phone number (in the format +71112223344)
13. Email (indicate the mailbox in the format, repeat it in the second field)

14. The level of education (Primary school only – primary school (meaning the full 9 grades), High School, no degree – secondary school, without a certificate (for example, if you went to 10-11 after 9th grade, but for some reason did not finish, you must have a document confirming that you studied, if there is no such document, then choose Primary school only), High School degree – secondary school with a certificate (full 11 classes), Vocational School – vocational school (vocational school, technical school, college), Some University Courses - incomplete higher education, University Degree - higher education, Some Graduate Level Courses – some courses at master’s level, Master's Degree - master's degree, Some Doctorate Level Courses – unfinished postgraduate study, Doctorate Degree – doctoral studies)

15. Family status (Unmarried – never been married/has never been married, Married – married Divorced – divorced/divorced, Widowed – widow/widower, Legally Separated – in the CIS countries there is no legally established status “Legally Separated”)

16. Children (How many children under the age of 21 do you have who are not married? If your children under 21 are married, then you do not need to indicate them. Even if you are divorced, then indicate children who may not live with you and they could even change their last name, but they are biological relatives of you, we must indicate them).

Click on the “Continue” , we will be taken to a page where you can check everything again. And if everything is correct, send the form by clicking on the “Submit”

You also need to save the data you receive on the lottery website. They look something like this:

Entrant Name: FAMILIYA, IMAY

Confirmation Number: 20206RY1HGHGW43N

Year of Birth: 2000

Digital Signature: 1BBF22D39C99BCD31C95487E87256HSADFG89408FD

Be sure to keep them in a safe place; without them, you will not be able to find out the result of your participation. We recommend saving them electronically on your computer or in cloud storage. Don't give them to anyone!

How are the winners selected?

According to officials, the winners are selected at random by a computer. That is, absolutely anyone who fills out the form correctly can become a winner. The results of the drawing become known in May of the following year.

If you fill out the form in 2021, you will learn the result of your participation only in the spring of 2021, and you will only be able to go to the States in 2021. Therefore, it is customary to name the lottery by year. Those who are going to participate in the Green Card lottery in 2021 will officially become participants in the Green Card DV-2021, and those who filled out the form in 2021 participated in the Green Card DV-2019 lottery.

What to do if you win?

After you become aware of your winnings, you should fill out the DS-260 form. Until 2015, this form was filled out on paper and sent to the United States by mail, to the consular center in Kentucky. But now it all happens online. Please also remember to print and save the completed form. You will need it at the interview at the embassy; you must take it with you along with a package of documents.

The address of the embassy can be found on the official website www.usembassy.gov. Select your country, all countries are listed in alphabetical order. For example, the US Embassy in Ukraine is located at: 04112, Kiev, st. Aircraft designer Igor Sikorsky, 4 (former Tankovaya street).

What documents should I take with me to the interview?

Then the same expenses mentioned above begin. Below is a list of documents for a lottery participant.

1. International passport.
2. Internal passport.
3. Birth certificate.
4. Marriage certificate.
5. Divorce certificate, if there were previous marriages or marital status changed after the interview was scheduled.
6. Diploma and proof of qualifications (provided only by the winning applicant).
7. Work books + copies.
8. A bank account statement containing the required amount in dollars.
9. A document confirming the ownership of real estate.
10. Documents for the car if you own it.
11. Certificate of no criminal record.
12. Documents from the medical examination.
13. Photos 3x4 - 5 pieces.
14. For those who served in the army - a military ID.
15. Printed forms.

* - according to the new rules, there is no need to translate documents.

After the interview, the decision will be announced to you. They may send you home and tell you their decision later. If approved, all documents will be sent to your address. If you pass the interview, you will be given a package with documents - Immigrant Packet .
It will be packaged and cannot be opened. The Immigrant Packet is presented to US Customs in a sealed form. You will have a visa in your hands for 6 months. During this time, you need to arrive in the United States and continue processing documents.

Preparing for an interview at the American embassy

In fact, winning the lottery means that a person can be interviewed by a consul who will decide whether to grant a visa or not. Before this, a package of documents needs to be collected.

The following documents will be needed for the interview:

1. Visa application form DS-260, which is completed online. You must take the confirmation page with you to your interview. The questionnaire is filled out separately for each member of the winner’s family. After filling out, you will have to wait 7-10 days until the document is processed at the Kentucky Consular Center. A letter will be sent to your email address indicating the date of submission of documents.
2. Foreign passport (original and copy).
3. Birth certificate.
4. Marriage certificate. Those who are divorced will need a divorce certificate.
5. Certificate of no criminal record.
6. Military ID if you served in the army.
7. Document confirming education and work record.
8. A document containing financial information: tax return, bank statement, guarantees.
9. Certificate of employment indicating the position held, salary, length of service.
10. Photos in the amount of 2 pieces (color matte, size 50x50 mm).
11. A medical certificate with the results of a medical examination, which can be taken at a medical center accredited by the Embassy. In the Russian Federation, medical examinations take place in Moscow, Vladivostok, and Yekaterinburg. For addresses, see the website of the US Embassy in Russia.
12. A document confirming payment of the consular fee.

Papers must be translated into English by a certified translator.

The US Embassy in Moscow operates a document preview system. It is recommended to scan it and send it by email 10 working days before your visit to the diplomatic mission:

Which country would you rather live in? ⚡ Take the test in 2 minutes

• copies of the DS-260 confirmation page;
• international passport;
• birth certificate;
• certificate of good conduct;
• if available - marriage or divorce certificate;
• military ID.

All family members included in the application form must attend the interview. Have your general passports with you.

The question often arises as to what date a green card can be issued.

You can use your winnings from the moment the lottery results are announced until the start of a new registration.

If you do not receive a visa before this date, the opportunity to obtain it will be lost.

Ways to obtain a US green card

Citizens of different countries want to come to America: Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, etc. Regardless of your nationality, you need to know how to obtain a US green card legally.

There are several ways to obtain a Gren Card

Family reunion

Only direct family ties are taken into account: brothers, sisters, parents, spouses, children under 21 years of age. An American citizen has the right to take his family from another country for permanent residence and apply for a certificate.

Marriage

The Green Card is available to official spouses of permanent residents. Civil marriage is not considered. Immigration officials are well aware that migrants enter into sham marriages. During the interview, additional questions will be asked regarding family life.

To confirm, you will have to collect all possible evidence of family life. This includes birth certificates of children, utility bills, joint real estate, and business. Based on the marriage certificate, a Green Card is issued for 2 years. Then it needs to be extended.

Work and political visas

The United States is interested in high-quality specialists: scientists, athletes, programmers, artists, musicians, etc. Often large companies lure citizens of other countries to lead positions. Management first gives a work visa, and then assists in obtaining a certificate for the employee.

America provides refuge to people who are in danger in their home countries for religious, political or other reasons.

To figure out how to get a US green card for a citizen of the Russian Federation, you need to understand that words about persecution require evidence.

Investment

You can obtain resident status if you invest more than $500,000 in the American economy. Then, within 2 years, create 10 jobs. The method is suitable for wealthy people. You can create your own business or invest in an existing company.

It doesn’t matter which country the investor comes from: Belarus or the Russian Federation, Canada or Mexico. The US authorities have a positive attitude towards those who are ready to invest in the economy.

Obtaining political asylum or refugee status

How to obtain political asylum in the USA

The situation in the world is difficult. There are wars, the threat of terrorism still exists, and the map of political influence is changing. America's immigration laws are changing. Information needs to be tracked on official websites. The authorities introduce new restrictions on refugee migration every year.

Political asylum is granted to people who have already arrived in America. Refugee status is requested prior to arrival. This is the fundamental difference.

Harassment and threats mean unfounded arrests, threats, violations of human rights and freedoms. If the situation at home changes, the States will deport you back.

Lottery DV-Lottery (DV-Programm)

The US green card lottery is held every year at a strictly set time. In 2021, a draw for documents for 2023 will be held. Registration will take place from October 7 to November 10.

This is the easiest and free way to get a Green Card. First, fill out a form. It is submitted along with the application. The drawing and announcement of the results will be published in the spring of 2022 on the official website https://dvprogram-state-gov.ru

If a person wins, then the receipt will take place only in 2023. After winning, a $300 consular fee is paid. A prerequisite for registration is successful completion of an interview at the embassy.

To increase the chances, all family members submit documents. Then the winner can apply for his direct relatives under the family reunification program. The questionnaire must not contain distorted facts or deviate from the sample. Mistakes and lies may result in disqualification.

The lottery is administered by the American State Department. It sets a limit based on the countries from which migrants are coming. For each state there is a limit: no more than 7% of the total number of visas issued.

It turns out that the fewer compatriots who come, the better for the one who submits the application

What to watch out for and how to avoid problems

The US State Department annually warns lottery participants about fraudulent letters that are sent to email addresses. They often require you to pay for the green card application.

It is important to know that a letter may only come from the US government with a reminder to check your status. Consular fees are paid exclusively at the cash desk of the diplomatic mission.

In addition, many agencies and visa consultants offer intermediary services, such as assistance with completing an application, for a fee. In this case, you must be present at registration and immediately take the confirmation number.

Risks to be aware of:

• scammers, talking about the difficulties of filling out a questionnaire, are trying to make money from you;
• there is no guarantee that the data will be entered correctly, and providing false information will lead to your disqualification as a DV participant;
• intermediaries cannot influence the winning result in any way; the winners are chosen by a computer;
• there is a danger that an outsider will mistakenly send an application with your information next year at the same time as you, which leads to a violation of the rules and, again, disqualification of the application.

To avoid being deceived, you must adhere to the following rules:

• study the instructions for filling out the application;
• provide truthful information;
• fill out the form yourself;
• use personal email;
• be sure to save your confirmation number;
• one applicant can submit only one application;
• the photograph must be no older than 6 months;
• If you win, you cannot add people who are not members of your family to your visa application.

What you need to know about Diversity Visa Lottery 2021

In fiscal 2021, 50 thousand green cards will be available. This is good news, because in recent years experts have called every lottery the last, and literally until the last days of September we were not sure whether the next DV would start.

The State Department determines the winners randomly, as always. Visas are allocated annually to participants in six geographic regions, and no country can receive more than 7% DV in any one year. Countries from which more than 50 thousand people immigrated to the United States over 5 years are also excluded from the lottery participants. DV-2020 excludes people from: Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (Mainland), Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, South Korea, United Kingdom ( with the exception of Northern Ireland) and territories under its control, as well as Vietnam. Individuals born in Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR and Taiwan are eligible to participate.

Applicants must meet simple but strict requirements.

Answers to pressing questions

In the process of preparing to participate in the Diversity Immigrant Visa, as well as directly when filling out the application form, many questions arise. We offer answers to the most popular of them.

• Can both husband and wife be applicants at the same time?

Yes, each spouse is eligible to participate in the green card program if they meet the eligibility criteria. This will increase your chances of winning.

• What are the deadlines for submitting an application to participate in the lottery?

A message about when applications begin to be accepted and when registration for a green card ends appears on the website of the US State Department. The period during which you can fill out an application lasts approximately a month. You should not submit the application in the first week or, conversely, wait until the last numbers. These days there is an influx of applicants, the site cannot withstand the load and the system sometimes resets the connection.

• How many entries can I submit on behalf of one participant during the registration period?

One applicant can participate in the annual selection only once. A participant who enters data more than once will be disqualified.

• When filling out the form, can I use the services of intermediaries?

It is better to submit the application yourself, without the participation of third parties. Once you've read the instructions, it's quite easy to do. Personal participation will save you from providing false information.

Sometimes in a situation where there is no computer at hand, the question arises whether it is possible to fill out a green card via phone. Yes, all fields of the registration form can be filled out on a smartphone.

• Is it possible to fill out the first part of the questionnaire, and then after a while the second?

No, you must submit your application within the allotted time. If you interrupt, you will have to enter the data again.

• Is there an application in MS Word format that I can fill out at another time?

No, it is not possible to download the form to fill out later. The application must be submitted online only.

• What to do in a situation where the E-DV system does not accept an application?

Sometimes it is not clear why, when filling out a green card, the connection is reset or the application does not register. Most often this is due to failures on the site, problems with the Internet, or the use of an outdated browser. In this case, the applicant does not receive a confirmation number. He should go through the application process again.

• How long does it take to receive confirmation of submitting a completed application form?

Usually the confirmation number comes immediately. If you do not receive a notification within a few minutes, you should click on the Submit button again.

The application is considered accepted when a confirmation number is received. Submitting the application again will then result in disqualification.

• When I clicked the Submit button, I did not receive a confirmation number. Can I go through the registration procedure again?

Yes, if after clicking the Submit button you cannot open the page with the confirmation number, you can submit your application again. This will not be considered a re-registration.

Deadlines for submitting an application for participation in the lottery

To participate in the Green Card lottery, you must submit an online application in accordance with all the rules.

You can apply for participation in the Green Card DV-2022 lottery from the beginning of October to the end of November.

Application forms are accepted on the resource https://dvprogram.state.gov/ absolutely free of charge. This resource is official; all other sites offering to fill out an application are not official and may charge financial compensation for their services. We do not recommend applying on such sites.

The application is a form that must be filled out in English. Only 1 form is completed per person. If this rule is violated, all entrant entries will be disqualified.

Processing - cropping and straightening the photo

Here we have a photo ready for processing. All that remains is to cut it to the Lottery format, align it and save it in a separate file for sending to the Green card Lottery server. For this we will use special software (software for a personal computer).

You can crop and straighten/tilt the photo, but you CANNOT modify it more seriously. Removing red eyes/pimples is a DON'T. It is IMPOSSIBLE to change the background greatly. All this is prohibited by the rules of the Green Card Lottery. If the Embassy/Robot reveals/proves that changes were made to the photo, you will receive disqualification or refusal to issue a visa.

Take a photo on your Green Card and check it using - ID Photos pro

The easiest option is ID Photos pro from Pixel Tech . This is a program for photographers who take photographs for documents. It already contains all the necessary parameters for many photo formats. You can buy it, try demo mode, or install it in other ways. Everything about it is simple - select a photo profile for the Green Card Lottery and the program will do everything for you (well, almost). All in one. fast and convenient.

Let's take a random photo from the Internet:

Sample photo of a face

Open the ID Photos pro and select a ready-made Green Card Lottery photo profile:

ID Photos pro - profile selection

Select your uncropped and unaligned photo and indicate on it the line of the eyes, ears, and center of the face (99% of which the program will do everything automatically):

ID Photos pro - image processing

Next, we align the oval of the face and once again the line of the eyes for an even cropping of the photo. If something goes wrong, the program itself will tell you!

ID Photos pro - image processing

We finish processing and save the file:

ID Photos pro - image processing

There are quite a lot of similar programs on the Internet, I indicated only one of the most advanced ones, which I use myself.

Free solutions

Official cropper of the US State Department – ​​Photo tool cropper

There is standard free software from the US Government website for cropping photos, it is made on flash and can be launched from a browser. It's called Photo tool or Cropper. Here is a link to the official website of the State Department

travel.state.gov/content/dam/passports/content-page-resources/FIG_cropper.swf

The link and requirements for the photo are also taken from the State Department website (everything on the site is in English):

travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/photos.html

Download and open Photo tool cropper , click the Select photo button:

Photo tool cropper from travel.state.gov

Select a photo, move the photo so that the face in the photo fits exactly into the green oval:

Photo tool cropper from travel.state.gov

That's all, the photo is ready. It is not a fact, of course, that all proportions are met, because this cropper has a basic structure. It is recommended to check it with third-party software. The first time I participated, I just cut it with the official cropper and everything went fine =)

If you cannot download the Cropper file from the official website, here is a link to the file from our server:

The password for the archive is getgreencard.ru

Official cropper of the US State Department –
​​Photo tool cropper

Where and how to register?

There is only one official lottery website. Accordingly, you can register for participation only on it, and only online. Access to the application form opens only after registration begins. That is, submitting applications and the form through which this is done will become available on the above site on October 7 at 8 pm Moscow time. Therefore, as an example of filling out, we will take last year’s questionnaire - it is unlikely that there will be significant changes in 2021.

Please note that all official US government websites are registered in the .GOV domain. This is a special domain allocated only for government needs; it cannot be faked.

How to fill out the electronic form for Green Card 2020

• Forms E-DV or DS-5501 can be completed online at dvlottery.state.gov.
• All applications are submitted free of charge.
• Before you start filling out the form on the site, be sure to make sure that you have the latest version of your browser.
• The State Department strongly recommends that you complete the application form yourself, without a “visa consultant,” “visa agent,” or other intermediary. But if someone does help, be sure to be nearby and make sure that all the items are filled out correctly.
• Once you submit the (properly completed) form, you will see a confirmation screen - with your name and unique confirmation number.
• Important! Save the confirmation page and unique number. Without this information, you will not be able to access the online system to check your registration status.
• Beginning May 7, 2021, you will be able to check your application status at dvlottery.state.gov. Click the “Check Member Status” button, and then enter your unique confirmation number and personal information.
• Make sure that the email account included in your E-DV entry is one you can use in 2021.

How to participate in the lottery: requirements

Almost everyone can participate in the lottery. Knowledge of English is not required to obtain a Green Card.
You can participate in the lottery from 18 years of age. By the way, on this occasion, those participants who have not yet turned 21 have the greatest chance of getting into the USA. Since you can participate either independently or as part of your parents’ applications.

The most important and first rule of the lottery is that the participant must be born in a country that is on the list of countries participating in the lottery . This list changes annually. It is determined by the US State Department. Those countries from which more than fifty thousand immigrants have already come to the United States over the past 5 years are excluded.

And second, the main rule for participation is at least secondary education or work experience in a highly qualified specialty .

This is the main thing. In addition, there are a number of different prohibitions: if you are a drug addict, a criminal (have problems with the law both in your state and the United States), are seriously ill with something, and some other restrictions. There is no need to worry too much here, if you are an ordinary normal person, then everything will be fine.

Note! For more detailed information about prohibitions, you can refer to thematic forums, or better yet, official websites. They are English, but if you already want to move to America, you will definitely need it, sooner or later. Start learning now.