Requirements for joining the Greencard Lottery

Who can participate in the Greencard Lottery?
Basically everybody can join the Greencard Lottery. There are almost no special requirements and no documents need to be sent along with the application form.

The only exceptions are persons born in a country with a very high rate of emigration into the US.

Any country which in average has “sent” more than 50,000 immigrants to the USA during the past five years is excluded from participation in the lottery. This procedure ensures that otherwise discriminated countries get a fair and equal chance as well. The list of excluded countries may vary from year to year.

One’s country of citizenship is not important in this process. The only important thing is the country of your birth, in accordance with current world political maps

Countries that are excluded

		Excluded Countries (Land of Birth)


		Unfortunately, people born in the following countries may not take part in this program: Great Britain (except Northern Ireland) People’s Republic of China Pakistan India the Philippines Vietnam South Korea Canada Mexico Jamaica El Salvador Haiti Colombia and the Dominican Republic.

Attention: Individuals who were born in any of the above-mentioned excluded countries may apply for a greencard if their spouses (husband or wife) were born in one of the DV-2010-eligible countries, or if the individuals were born in an excluded country while parents of said individuals were only temporary residents of the excluded, non-eligible countries.

In this case the country of birth of the spouse or of the parents must be listed as “native country” in addition to your country of birth.

Other Conditions

The only other requirement is a certification of completion of secondary school education (comparable to the US high school diploma), which usually means that you must have completed 12 years of education in school

a minimum of two years’ work experience (within the past five years) in a profession which requires at least two years of training. Proof of these prerequisites are only necessary when and if a lottery participant wins. They are not necessary when you are simply submitting the application.

		Further Requirements


		12 years of high-school or its equivalent or job training