How to Avoid being Disqualified from the Green Card Lottery (Diversity Visa Program)

How to Avoid being Disqualified from the Green Card Lottery (Diversity Visa Program)

The US State Department last week announced that the registration period for the 2021 Diversity Visa Program (DV-2021), otherwise known as the Green Card Lottery, will start on Wednesday, October 2nd, 2019 and end on Tuesday, November 5th, 2019.

The State Department urges qualified individuals not to wait until the last week to submit their entry as heavy demand may result in website delays.

To qualify, an individual must:

  1. Be a native of an eligible country. The Diversity Visa program is intended to increase the diversity of the immigration population in the US. As such, native of countries with large immigration rates (over 50,000 immigrants) to the US in the last five years are ineligible to participate. For DV-2021, the following countries are ineligible: Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (mainland-born), Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, and Vietnam.
  2. Have at least a high school education or its equivalent (successful completion of a 12-year course of formal elementary and secondary education), or two years of qualifying work experience.

Entrants who win the lottery will be subject to background checks and interviews at the US embassy or consulates assigned to their home country, so the State Department advices that those participating in the program must be admissible to the United States. Individuals with criminal records and win the lottery may not be approved for immigrant visas.

The State Department also lists some reasons and actions by an entrant that will disqualify his/her entry:

  1. Listing an incorrect country of eligibility or chargeability (i.e., one to which you cannot establish a valid claim).
  2. Failure to meet education or work experience requirements. If it is determined that an individual did not meet this requirement, the entry will be disqualified at the time of permanent resident visa (green card) interview. No visa will be issued to the entrant or his/her family members.
  3. The program requires that each entrant submits only one entry. The State Department says it uses sophisticated technology to detect multiple entries. Entrants with multiple entries will be disqualified. If you received a confirmation number, then your entry was submitted and recorded and you should not enter another one.
  4. Entering false, inaccurate, or invalid passport number will lead to disqualification.
  5. Failure to list your eligible spouse, or listing someone who is not your spouse, is grounds for disqualification. The State Department states that if you are not married at the time of entry but plan on getting married in the future, you should not list a spouse on your entry form as this would be grounds for disqualification. However, if your spouse is a US citizen or lawful permanent resident, you should not list him/her in the entry.
  6. Entries that are not correct or complete will be disqualified.

In the period October 2nd, 2019 and November 5th, 2019, those wishing to participate in the DV-2021 can submit their entries at dvlottery.state.gov.

Comments

imkgoogo (not verified)     Wed, 09/25/2019 @ 07:18am

My 25 cents, if you've a small business, or a small house, or a few cows, this lottery is not for you. Concentrate on those projects and very soon, you'll be an employer.

George (not verified)     Wed, 09/25/2019 @ 07:48am

My wife and I are not legally married(church wedding) but we live together for the last 4 years and have a daughter, does that qualify us as married.

Kenyan (not verified)     Wed, 09/25/2019 @ 10:40am

In reply to by George (not verified)

No, George. In the eyes of the government you have a roommate not a wife. Get married and then get a document that confirms she's your wife legally. Otherwise if either one of you apply and win, the other will get left behind. Your daughter will travel with the winner.

George (not verified)     Thu, 09/26/2019 @ 10:39am

In reply to by Kenyan (not verified)

Hi Kenyan, clarify for me please,currently am in the middle east working and the process starts on next month, I was just wondering whether you know if I can get a marriage certificate online(attorney from Kenya). Is it possible??

Kenyan (not verified)     Thu, 09/26/2019 @ 03:27pm

In reply to by George (not verified)

If either one of you wins, that person can petition (fill in a period request) for the other to get a green card but they have to be your spouse legally, meaning you have documentation yo confirm this. Otherwise the petition will not go through. All this info is available on the uscis.gov website.

M (not verified)     Wed, 09/25/2019 @ 04:53pm

In reply to by George (not verified)

Yes you are qualified. In this situation if you don't have a marriage certificate than you are considered as single and you need to apply as single. And your wife apply separately. Unless you get the marriage certificate.

imkgoogo (not verified)     Wed, 09/25/2019 @ 10:10am

In reply to by Bob (not verified)

Age based discrimination is illegal in the US. Like those employment ads in Kenya where they state applicants age 20 - 45 years, that will not work in the US. Such companies would face stiff penalties (if caught).

Denis kalule (not verified)     Wed, 09/25/2019 @ 11:00am

1_ If am not married but am planning to get married in future will they accept me?
2_ Right now am working in United Arab Emirates(Abudhabi) but am coming from Uganda i.e am a Ugandan and am holding a valid Ugandan passport will they accept me

kehinde manuwa. E (not verified)     Wed, 09/25/2019 @ 04:27pm

can a student who is not a citizen of the country is being launch but studying in the country apply for it?

Christopher (not verified)     Thu, 09/26/2019 @ 02:00am

In reply to by Jack (not verified)

Yes, you can apply while residing in the US but the tricky part is, depending on your status, you may be required to go back to your home country to apply for the new status. The problem her could be that, if you don't go through with your green card, you may be forced to stay in your home country and be barred from returning back to the US even with a valid visa. For people on a student visa for instance, applying for a Green Card already tells the government that you intend to stay in the country and not leave as soon as you complete your studies (which is what you assured them, before you got your student visa) So they may barr the student. Good luck.

Samia (not verified)     Wed, 09/25/2019 @ 06:53pm

My sister applied 8 times, she has high school diploma, married with 3 boys under 18but she was never selected, any tricks that can help her.she is very smart and a very hard worker

Christopher (not verified)     Thu, 09/26/2019 @ 02:10am

In reply to by Samia (not verified)

No tricks, No gimmicks, these people dont take any BS either. Millions of people apply but only about 50,000 are taken. So the trick here is to probably get as many of your relatives to apply, so that if you miss out, someone else may get it and you can assist each other. If you are computer savvy, help them fill out the forms, if you take good pictures help them or if not and if you happen to know a good photo studio, take them there. Most people get disqualified just by not following instructions when filling out the application or not taking pictures to their EXACT specifications. Share information about the lottery to all your family, extended family and your neighbors in the 100s or even 1,000s. The lottery is freely given, so freely share! Good Luck!

Samir Yousefy (not verified)     Thu, 09/26/2019 @ 09:58am

In reply to by Christopher (not verified)

Hi, I am Samir Yousefy from Afghanistan, I have applied the DV Lottery many times but unfortunately being disqualified. Right now I am living in Turkey with my wife and our 10 months old son and we have refugee Status here in UNHCR-Ankara. These people are not processing our Asylum-Case-Application it has been 2 years we have submitted our Case still no update from them.

So, Are we eligible to Apply the DV Lottery or not?
Because we are not in our own country can we apply for the DV Lottery or not?

I have done my Bachelore in B.Com and specialized in Cost Accounting from Pune International University of India. I have 5 years international experience in Hotel Management and in financial functions. My wife is an Artist but unfortunately she couldn't complete her University due the security reasons and issues which we facing in our homeland Afghanistan. But she has a High School Diploma+2 years of Arts Institute Certifacte from Afghanistan Arts Institute.

Can we Apply for the DV Lottery or not????

Thanks need your help and information.

Vegah (not verified)     Thu, 09/26/2019 @ 12:35am

Can ur spouse apply as a primary entrant and place u under her application and u too do the same process and place her under ur application?. Could that be a double entries?

Kenyan (not verified)     Thu, 09/26/2019 @ 11:39am

In reply to by James wanjiru (not verified)

Yes you can! I applied when I was in my third year of college and won . Once I got my visa I took a semester of school came to the US and got my paper work processed. Once I got the actual green card I flew back yo Kenya and completed my degree, then flew back to the US. If you win you'll have the option to go back and complete your degree or continue in the US, though that may be tricky.

Ivana (not verified)     Thu, 09/26/2019 @ 03:38am

My passport is expiring in a few months. Should i get a new one before i apply? What happens if i applied with this one, won the lottery but my passport expired in the meantime?

Sghir (not verified)     Thu, 09/26/2019 @ 04:06am

I'm divorced and my ex-wife refuses to let me see my son, who has almost 4 years old. It's been more than one year since the last time I saw him. So I don't have a clear picture of him. I don't have any picture actually. What should I do? Because I want to register in the US lottery, but they will force me to upload a picture of my son, which there is no way to get it.

Kindly advise

Sghir (not verified)     Tue, 10/01/2019 @ 04:59am

In reply to by Mu Mo (not verified)

Dear Mu,

Thank you so much for your time. If I checked that I have a son, the programme will force me enter his details including his photo which I don't have, and there is no way to get it. Long story short, no picture, no application.

Kimdly advise, I'm in a muddle.

Thank you

Werner Scholtz (not verified)     Thu, 09/26/2019 @ 04:32am

What must i do if my child is born after registration? can i add the newborn at a later stage incase i am a winner?

Sghir (not verified)     Thu, 09/26/2019 @ 04:41am

I'm divorced and my ex-wife refuses to let me see my son, who has almost 4 years old. It's been more than one year since the last time I saw him. So I don't have a clear picture of him. I don't have any picture actually. What should I do? Because I want to register in the US lottery, but they will force me to upload a picture of my son, which there is no way to get it.

Kindly advise

Roberta dandy (not verified)     Thu, 09/26/2019 @ 05:19am

I am wondering why i been following all the rules for the past 14 years i have never won before.wow hope me and my daughter be successful this trun around.

Samir Yousefy (not verified)     Thu, 09/26/2019 @ 02:07pm

Home
Main navigation
HOME
DIASPORA
IMMIGRATION
KENYA
BLOGS
REAL ESTATE
OBITUARIES
EVENTS
CLASSIFIEDS
OTHER
CONTACT
Search
Search
Death Announcement: Mary Muthoni Kamotho of Raleigh, North Carolina
DV-2019 Green Card Lottery Entrants Have until Next Week (September 30th) to Check their Winning Status
PreviousNext

‹ ›
How to Avoid being Disqualified from the Green Card Lottery (Diversity Visa Program)
By Irungu Thairu Tue, 09/24/2019 @ 09:06pm 19762 views 55 comments
How to Avoid being Disqualified from the Green Card Lottery (Diversity Visa Program)
55

84

The US State Department last week announced that the registration period for the 2021 Diversity Visa Program (DV-2021), otherwise known as the Green Card Lottery, will start on Wednesday, October 2nd, 2019 and end on Tuesday, November 5th, 2019.

The State Department urges qualified individuals not to wait until the last week to submit their entry as heavy demand may result in website delays.

To qualify, an individual must:

Be a native of an eligible country. The Diversity Visa program is intended to increase the diversity of the immigration population in the US. As such, native of countries with large immigration rates (over 50,000 immigrants) to the US in the last five years are ineligible to participate. For DV-2021, the following countries are ineligible: Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (mainland-born), Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, and Vietnam.
Have at least a high school education or its equivalent (successful completion of a 12-year course of formal elementary and secondary education), or two years of qualifying work experience.
Entrants who win the lottery will be subject to background checks and interviews at the US embassy or consulates assigned to their home country, so the State Department advices that those participating in the program must be admissible to the United States. Individuals with criminal records and win the lottery may not be approved for immigrant visas.

The State Department also lists some reasons and actions by an entrant that will disqualify his/her entry:

Listing an incorrect country of eligibility or chargeability (i.e., one to which you cannot establish a valid claim).
Failure to meet education or work experience requirements. If it is determined that an individual did not meet this requirement, the entry will be disqualified at the time of permanent resident visa (green card) interview. No visa will be issued to the entrant or his/her family members.
The program requires that each entrant submits only one entry. The State Department says it uses sophisticated technology to detect multiple entries. Entrants with multiple entries will be disqualified. If you received a confirmation number, then your entry was submitted and recorded and you should not enter another one.
Entering false, inaccurate, or invalid passport number will lead to disqualification.
Failure to list your eligible spouse, or listing someone who is not your spouse, is grounds for disqualification. The State Department states that if you are not married at the time of entry but plan on getting married in the future, you should not list a spouse on your entry form as this would be grounds for disqualification. However, if your spouse is a US citizen or lawful permanent resident, you should not list him/her in the entry.
Entries that are not correct or complete will be disqualified.
In the period October 2nd, 2019 and November 5th, 2019, those wishing to participate in the DV-2021 can submit their entries at dvlottery.state.gov.

Comments
Motanya Duke

Wed, 09/25/2019 @ 01:26am
REPLY
What if you get married between now and the period of registration

Patrick ojiamb…

Wed, 09/25/2019 @ 01:36am
REPLY
I look forward become a citizen of this great superpower country in the world.

Anonymous

Wed, 09/25/2019 @ 03:56am
REPLY
What about giving a passport number using my passport which is not digital coz i havent applied for digital one

Jay

Wed, 09/25/2019 @ 02:11pmIn reply to What about giving a passport… by Anonymous
REPLY
The old passport is valid.. Just use that number

Anonymous

Wed, 09/25/2019 @ 04:21am
REPLY
What about giving a passport number using my passport which is not digital coz i havent applied for digital one

Kenny Johnson

Wed, 09/25/2019 @ 07:10am
REPLY
Can a couple from different country apply if one is legible and the other not legible is is possible?

Tom Mosigisi

Wed, 09/25/2019 @ 06:30pmIn reply to Can a couple from different… by Kenny Johnson
REPLY
The main applicant is the one who must come from a legible country if am not wrong

imkgoogo

Wed, 09/25/2019 @ 07:18am
REPLY
My 25 cents, if you've a small business, or a small house, or a few cows, this lottery is not for you. Concentrate on those projects and very soon, you'll be an employer.

George

Wed, 09/25/2019 @ 07:48am
REPLY
My wife and I are not legally married(church wedding) but we live together for the last 4 years and have a daughter, does that qualify us as married.

Kenyan

Wed, 09/25/2019 @ 10:40amIn reply to My wife and I are not… by George
REPLY
No, George. In the eyes of the government you have a roommate not a wife. Get married and then get a document that confirms she's your wife legally. Otherwise if either one of you apply and win, the other will get left behind. Your daughter will travel with the winner.

Anonymous

Wed, 09/25/2019 @ 03:34pmIn reply to No, George. In the eyes of… by Kenyan
REPLY
Hello, is an affidavit enough? Legally signed by a commissioner of oaths?

George

Thu, 09/26/2019 @ 10:39amIn reply to No, George. In the eyes of… by Kenyan
REPLY
Hi Kenyan, clarify for me please,currently am in the middle east working and the process starts on next month, I was just wondering whether you know if I can get a marriage certificate online(attorney from Kenya). Is it possible??

George

Thu, 09/26/2019 @ 10:49amIn reply to No, George. In the eyes of… by Kenyan
REPLY
Can we qualify to go as a couple if iny any case one of us wins and we had gotten married between October and May.. Please kenyan

M

Wed, 09/25/2019 @ 04:53pmIn reply to My wife and I are not… by George
REPLY
Yes you are qualified. In this situation if you don't have a marriage certificate than you are considered as single and you need to apply as single. And your wife apply separately. Unless you get the marriage certificate.

Bob

Wed, 09/25/2019 @ 09:19am
REPLY
May I know the age limit for dv.lottery? Can someone above fifty years elligible?

imkgoogo

Wed, 09/25/2019 @ 10:10amIn reply to May I know the age limit for… by Bob
REPLY
Age based discrimination is illegal in the US. Like those employment ads in Kenya where they state applicants age 20 - 45 years, that will not work in the US. Such companies would face stiff penalties (if caught).

Kenyan

Wed, 09/25/2019 @ 11:23amIn reply to May I know the age limit for… by Bob
REPLY
Absolutely! As long as you're 18+ no maximum age limit.

Denis kalule

Wed, 09/25/2019 @ 11:00am
REPLY
1_ If am not married but am planning to get married in future will they accept me?
2_ Right now am working in United Arab Emirates(Abudhabi) but am coming from Uganda i.e am a Ugandan and am holding a valid Ugandan passport will they accept me

Jay

Wed, 09/25/2019 @ 02:14pmIn reply to 1_ If am not married but am… by Denis kalule
REPLY
1. You will enter the lottery as single, so yes.
2. Yes, Uganda is an eligible country

Elizabeth

Wed, 09/25/2019 @ 01:41pm
REPLY
Can I apply even if I am not a form 4,I was form tree

Mary Wangui Kareithi

Wed, 09/25/2019 @ 02:01pm
REPLY
Hey,I hv applied severally but not luck,,I hope this time round it will succeed,,In God I always trust

William Ingati Amere

Wed, 09/25/2019 @ 03:02pm
REPLY
I need a green card

Mombe Isaac

Wed, 09/25/2019 @ 03:11pm
REPLY
You are wonderful, thanks for the information, God bless America.

Edwin Angima

Wed, 09/25/2019 @ 03:23pm
REPLY
How can we satisfy that we can win fir the green card?

kehinde manuwa. E

Wed, 09/25/2019 @ 04:27pm
REPLY
can a student who is not a citizen of the country is being launch but studying in the country apply for it?

Jack

Wed, 09/25/2019 @ 06:15pm
REPLY
Can you apply if you live in USA

Christopher

Thu, 09/26/2019 @ 02:00amIn reply to Can you apply if you live in… by Jack
REPLY
Yes, you can apply while residing in the US but the tricky part is, depending on your status, you may be required to go back to your home country to apply for the new status. The problem her could be that, if you don't go through with your green card, you may be forced to stay in your home country and be barred from returning back to the US even with a valid visa. For people on a student visa for instance, applying for a Green Card already tells the government that you intend to stay in the country and not leave as soon as you complete your studies (which is what you assured them, before you got your student visa) So they may barr the student. Good luck.

Suroj

Wed, 09/25/2019 @ 06:30pm
REPLY
Can i filled dv lottery when i am present in usa ..??? Because i m on assylee over here from nepal

Kofi

Thu, 09/26/2019 @ 07:01amIn reply to Can i filled dv lottery when… by Suroj
REPLY
Can I apply dv lottery since me and my wife has been in US before for visit we are now our home contery Ghana.

Samia

Wed, 09/25/2019 @ 06:53pm
REPLY
My sister applied 8 times, she has high school diploma, married with 3 boys under 18but she was never selected, any tricks that can help her.she is very smart and a very hard worker

Christopher

Thu, 09/26/2019 @ 02:10amIn reply to My sister applied 8 times,… by Samia
REPLY
No tricks, No gimmicks, these people dont take any BS either. Millions of people apply but only about 50,000 are taken. So the trick here is to probably get as many of your relatives to apply, so that if you miss out, someone else may get it and you can assist each other. If you are computer savvy, help them fill out the forms, if you take good pictures help them or if not and if you happen to know a good photo studio, take them there. Most people get disqualified just by not following instructions when filling out the application or not taking pictures to their EXACT specifications. Share information about the lottery to all your family, extended family and your neighbors in the 100s or even 1,000s. The lottery is freely given, so freely share! Good Luck!

Samir Yousefy

Thu, 09/26/2019 @ 09:58amIn reply to No tricks, No gimmicks,… by Christopher
REPLY
Hi, I am Samir Yousefy from Afghanistan, I have applied the DV Lottery many times but unfortunately being disqualified. Right now I am living in Turkey with my wife and our 10 months old son and we have refugee Status here in UNHCR-Ankara. These people are not processing our Asylum-Case-Application it has been 2 years we have submitted our Case still no update from them.

So, Are we eligible to Apply the DV Lottery or not?
Because we are not in our own country can we apply for the DV Lottery or not?

I have done my Bachelore in B.Com and specialized in Cost Accounting from Pune International University of India. I have 5 years international experience in Hotel Management and in financial functions. My wife is an Artist but unfortunately she couldn't complete her University due the security reasons and issues which we facing in our homeland Afghanistan. But she has a High School Diploma+2 years of Arts Institute Certifacte from Afghanistan Arts Institute.

Can we Apply for the DV Lottery or within Turkey or we have to be in our own country Afghanistan???
We can not go back to our homeland Afghanistan, is there any possibility to Apply from Turkey country ?

Thanks need your help and information.

Arnaud (not verified)     Thu, 09/26/2019 @ 03:36pm

Is that possible I can get chance of being selected , if I can make application without having passport and I can look passport after.
I am Arnaud from Rwanda.

Dorji (not verified)     Thu, 09/26/2019 @ 11:33pm

While I apply along with details of my kids and wife, can my wife apply seperately mentioning my kids and me in her entry? Like, two entries (One on husband & Other of wife).

Christopher (not verified)     Sat, 09/28/2019 @ 03:34am

Please Visit this website for the MOST RELIABLE INFORMATION that concerns the Green Card Lottery/ Diversity Visa Program :-https://www.uscis.gov/greencard/diversity-visa

1. Follow ALL instructions to the letter.
2. Pay attention to the photograph specifications- they disqualify SO MANY people in this round here. Have a PROFESSIONAL TAKE YOUR PHOTOGRAPH- Ask for someone who has taken pictures before and got accepted into the DV lottery program or US Embassy- they are many-since the lottery has been running for a long time.
3. REMEMBER TO KEEP YOUR CONFIRMATION NUMBER! If you lose your confirmation number, you will never know if you won or lost, so print out the EXACT number and store it in a safe place or plaster it on your bedroom ceiling wall, whatever you do, DO NOT LOSE THAT NUMBER!
4. Lastly, Fill out Accurate and TRUE information. There are no shortcuts, no lies, no gimmicks, no leniency! Give them the exact documents they require and be sure to be able to provide a proof of it. Do not imagine an imaginary wife or husband in your head or children, so that you can add people later! They are very very sensitive to such things, they have hired Excellently trained individuals who will scrutinize your application letter for letter. And they can quickly and easily detect made-up stories and quick-fix families. If you haven't officiated your marriage, and you intend to get into the Diversity Visa process, what are you waiting for? Get your documents ready now and avoid a last minute rush. Consider also the money and time that will be spent during this process and keep that ready early enough. Try and get familiarized with the culture and the people in the US and make sure that this is the place you want to be, instead of moving to the US and end up regretting. This is a huge step. Good luck

Richard mocheche (not verified)     Tue, 10/08/2019 @ 05:26am

Their is this question, if married and your spouse lives in USA, my family lives USA should I say am single or say am married, please help

Add new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
CAPTCHA
10 + 0 =
Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.