Diversity Visa Lottery 2025

The 2025 diversity visa lottery program is already accepting new registrations from foreigners who wish to come to the United States legally.

Each year, the U.S. government grants a specific number of Diversity Visa Program visas to certain foreigners. This allows individuals to obtain a Green Card. However, it is not simple, since there are certain requirements to meet. Therefore, our immigration lawyers in New Jersey are ready to help you.

What Is The 2025 Diversity Visa Program Or DV Lottery?

The Diversity Visa Lottery is an annual US program that gives foreign nationals the opportunity to participate and obtain an American visa. Participants will be chosen at random by a computer algorithm.

After winning the lottery, winners and their immediate family members can become legal permanent residents. This means that they will be able to:

1. Live,
2. Work and
3. Study legally in the United States.

When Does The 2025 Diversity Visa Lottery Program Open?

Registration for the visa lottery program is open since October 4, 2023 to November 7, 2023 at 12:00 noon (US Eastern Time – EST).

Countries Eligible For The 2025 Diversity Visa Lottery Program

One of the main requirements to qualify for the visa lottery program is to belong to one of the following eligible countries:

• Antigua and Barbuda,
• Argentina,
• Barbados,
• Belize,
• Bolivia,
• Chile,
• Costa Rica,
• Cuba,
• Commonwealth of Dominica,
• Ecuador,
• Grenada,
• Guatemala,
• Guyana,
• Nicaragua,
• Panama,
• Paraguay,
• Peru, 
• Saint Kitts and Nevis,
• St. Lucia,
• St. Vincent and the Grenadines,
• Surinam,
• Trinidad and Tobago,
• Uruguay.

Which Countries Cannot Qualify For The 2025 Diversity Visa Lottery?

Because more than 50,000 foreigners native to the following countries immigrated to the US in the previous 5 years, by 2025 the following countries will not be eligible for the diversity visa lottery program:

• Bangladesh,
• Brazil,
• Canada,
• China,
• Colombia,
• El Salvador,
• Philippines,
• Haiti,
• Honduras,
• India,
• Jamaica,
• Mexico,
• Nigeria,
• Pakistan,
• United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories,
• Republic of Korea (South Korea),
• Dominican Republic,
• Venezuela,
• Vietnam.

Do I Need To Know English To Fill Out The Visa Application For The United States?

In order to facilitate the application process, the State Department and the embassy’s official website are translated into Spanish and other languages. This is very helpful in correctly completing Form DS-160.

We recommend applicants fill out this form calmly, remember each question well and not make mistakes. This is crucial to increase the chances of the application being approved.

Likewise, those who fail to qualify, pass, or win still have the possibility of traveling legally to the United States. All this is because the US embassy has different types of US visas available:

• B-1 business visitor visa, for those who wish to travel for business purposes, and 
• B-2 tourist visa. 

What Are The Requirements For The Green Card Lottery?

The Visa Diversity Lottery Program offers a limited number of visas each year. As if that were not enough, certain requirements must be met to apply for this lottery. These are:

• Being a citizen of a country belonging to the list of countries that qualify for the visa lottery.
• Have at least 12 years of primary and secondary education, or its equivalent.
• Have at least 2 years of work experience within the last 5 years, in an occupation eligible for the program.

What Jobs Qualify For The Diverstity Visa Lottery Program?

The Department of State uses the United States Department of Labor’s (DOL) O*NET OnLine database to determine work experience.

It should be noted that the O*NET OnLine database rates work experience in 5 work areas. Although DOL lists many more job occupations, not all of them manage to qualify for the Visa Diverstity Lottery Program.

When Will The Results Of The 2025 Diversity Visa Program Be Known?

It is estimated that the results of this lottery are scheduled for May 4, 2024. To find out these results, interested parties must enter the dvprogram.state.gov website with the confirmation data they received when registering.

It should be noted that the State Department will not notify participants elsewhere. Likewise, participants in this lottery must keep their confirmation number until at least September 30, 2025.

That said, the only way to know the results of the Diversity Visa Program is through the Internet. That is, from the official website of the US visa lottery.

How To Register For The 2025 Visa Diversity Program?

To register for the visa program, applicants must:

1. Read the instructions for the registration process .
2. Register on the Department of State website.
3. Fill out all the necessary information through the dvprogram.state.gov website. Once registration is complete, a confirmation message will appear on the screen. 
4. Wait for the results.

It should be noted that this entire registration process is completely free, so applicants will not have to pay anything to register. 

Likewise, it is strongly advised to keep the registration confirmation number to check the status of the application. If you lose it, the government has established steps to follow to recover it.

In addition, on our blog, we also have a post that will help everyone interested in recovering their passport if it was seized by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Please check “How can I get back my passport from ICE”.

Steps To Follow If You Win The Visa Lottery

Once a participant is selected for the Diversity Visa Program and meets all requirements, they can then apply for an immigrant visa. If the application is approved, you will be able to travel to the United States and apply for the Green Card.

So, to do this, the winning participants must:

1. Apply for an immigrant visa using form DS-160.
2. Complete and submit the respective form online to request an immigrant visa.
3. Once the application is submitted, you may receive an email with an appointment for an interview at a US consulate or embassy.
4. The officer in charge of the immigration interview will tell the applicant whether their immigrant visa application is approved or not.

What Happens After The Program Lottery Visa Interview?

After completing the immigrant visa interview at the US consulate or embassy, ​​the official in charge will inform the applicant if their visa was:

1. Approved, or
2. Denied.

It should be noted that in the case of an approval, the official will tell the individual how and when the passport and visa will be returned. If a denial occurs, they will inform you why you are not eligible to receive the visa.

Additionally, some denied visa applications may require additional administrative processing. When this is required, the official will inform the applicant of this process at the end of the interview. 

Visa Approval Process

If the visa is approved, the following is expected:

• Passport with visa: The diversity visa will be placed on one of the pages of the passport. It is important to review the printed information to ensure that there are no possible errors.
• Sealed Immigration Package: Applicants for this visa will receive a sealed package that must be presented to Customs and Border Protection (CBP). This will be at a port of entry upon arrival in the US. 
• When to travel: Individuals must apply for admission to the US no later than the expiration date of their visa. A visa will generally be valid for 6 months from the date of issue, unless the medical examination expires earlier. If this occurs, the visa will be valid for less than 6 months.
• Payment of Fees: The USCIS immigrant fee must be paid to the USCIS agency after receiving the immigrant visa and well before traveling to the US. However, certain foreigners are exempt from this immigrant fee.
• Immunization records: Children must receive certain vaccinations before enrolling in an American school. Therefore, it is recommended that the child have a complete vaccination record established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

If you carry x-rays, they must be carried by hand and not packed in luggage. 

Entry To The United States

If the foreigners are admitted to the US, then they will enter the country as legal permanent residents, thanks to their new Green Card. As a result, they will be able to work and live permanently in the United States.

We point out that only those with permission can work in the US, otherwise it will be illegal. Find out more about this topic in our blog titled: “How to get a job in the United States while illegal”.

On the other hand, the Social Security Administration is available to all those who wish to know the benefits of Social Security in this country. Such insurance is available even for permanent residents.

Regarding Visa Denials

In certain scenarios, the consular officer will not have enough information necessary to process the application to completion. This official will inform you if required information or documents are missing. 

Under U.S. law, not all applicants are qualified or eligible for an immigrant visa. As if that were not enough, there are many factors that could cause an applicant to not qualify to receive the visa. 

Tips For Applying For The Diversity Visa Program

Below, we will indicate some of the most recommended tips to successfully apply for this program. These are:

1. Read the instructions set forth at dvprogram.state.gov to see if you qualify. If you do not meet the requirements, do not access this site.
2. Trust only US government websites.
3. Go to the program website to submit the lottery form. There is no other way to send such documents, this is to avoid scams or fraud.
4. There are no fees to enter the program.
5. Use a photograph taken in the last 6 months. Using an old photo may lead to disqualification from the program.
6. Submit only one request per individual. Those with more than one primary application per season to the visa lottery will be disqualified. 
7. Include the spouse and all unmarried children under age 21 on the application, even if they will not be traveling with the immigrant. This is because incorrect or missing information in the registration could mean disqualification.
8. Keep the confirmation number unique. This is necessary to verify the entry status.
9. Check the dvprogram website online , since it is the only way to know the results.
10.  Remember that being chosen does not guarantee an interview or a visa.

Immigration Lawyers To Regulate Your Status In The United States 

Although winning the visa lottery can be difficult, it is not impossible. However, there are many individuals who unfortunately do not qualify or are not eligible to obtain an immigrant visa through this program. 

If you are one of them, but you want to travel and become legal in the USA, you should not be alarmed or saddened, since there are many legal ways to live in this country. Some examples are usually:

• Asylum process in the United States,
• For some immigration relief. For example, cancellation of removal, or
• U.S. family-based immigration,

These are just some of the ways in which foreigners can become permanent residents. We inform you that in our blog you can obtain more information on how to legally enter the United States.

Likewise, with a large amount of experience in the matter, our immigration lawyers at Curbelo Law will be able to help you in your scenario. Call us to examine your case and help you through this difficult process.