What Is the Green Card Lottery?
The Green Card Lottery, officially called the Diversity Immigrant Visa (DV) Program, is a U.S. government initiative that offers up to 55,000 immigrant visas each year to individuals from countries with historically low rates of U.S. immigration.
It’s designed to increase diversity in the U.S. immigrant population by giving people from underrepresented nations a chance at permanent residence.
Key Eligibility & Requirements
To qualify, applicants must meet two main criteria:
- Country of birth eligibilityYou must be born in an eligible country. If your country has high immigration volumes to the U.S., you might be excluded.
- Education or Work ExperienceYou must have at least a high school diploma (or equivalent) or at least two years of work experience in a qualifying occupation over the past five years.
Additionally:
- You must include information about your spouse and all unmarried children under 21 on your entry—even if they are not immigrating with you.
- You must submit your entry during the official registration window (usually October to November each year).
- There is no cost to submit an entry.
If you submit more than one entry in a given year, you risk disqualification.
The Selection & Visa Issuance Process
Once you enter:
- SelectionA random computer drawing selects potential winners.
- Notification & Status CheckYou check whether you were selected using your confirmation number in the official online status portal. The U.S. will not send you an email notice.
- Further ProcessingIf selected, you must submit a visa application (Form DS-260) or apply for status adjustment if you’re already in the U.S.
- Interview & Eligibility VerificationA consular or USCIS interview will confirm whether you meet all requirements (health, background checks, financial ability).
- Visa Issued / Green Card GrantedOnce approved, you’re admitted as a lawful permanent resident with rights to live and work in the U.S.
Note: Being selected doesn’t guarantee a visa—only those who complete all steps and meet requirements will receive green cards.
How Dogpay Can Add Value in the DV Lottery Journey
Although the entry into the lottery is free, those who are selected still face multiple costs: visa filing, translation, document preparation, courier services, legal/consulting fees, etc. Dogpay can assist you with those payment flows:
- Paying Visa / Immigrant Application Fees When it’s your turn to file DS-260 or related immigrant visa fees, Dogpay can help you send USD payments from abroad reliably and transparently.
- Translation / Document / Notarization Services You may need to engage translation agencies, notarization, or document preparation services—often across borders. Dogpay helps you pay those providers securely.
- Courier / Document Shipping International mailing of documents, certified copies, or supporting materials can be paid via Dogpay with clear records.
- Legal / Consulting Fees Immigration attorneys or consultants often assist with DV lottery winners’ filings. Dogpay enables payments across regions with full audit trails.
- Receipts & Payment Logs Each Dogpay transaction generates a timestamped receipt and exportable logs—crucial for proving payments in your case file.
- Minimizing Hidden Transfer Losses Compared to traditional bank wires (which may carry hidden markups or intermediary fees), Dogpay helps reduce those costs so more of your funds go where needed.
