Requirements For the DV-2021 Diversity Visa Program (Green Card Lottery)

Below are some of the requirements set by the DV lottery department for all applicants who wish to apply and win the green card lottery for the 2021 fiscal year. Applicants are required to go through these and make sure they adhere to these requirements.

Be a native of an eligible country. The DV program is for nationals of countries with low immigration rates to the US. As such countries whose natives have immigrated to the US in larger numbers (more than 50,000. Of their natives have immigrated to the US over the past five years) are not eligible to participate in the program. See the List of eligible countries here.

At least a high school education or its equivalent is required; this is defined as the successful completion of a 12-year course of formal elementary and secondary education. Two years to qualifying work experience within the past five years may be substituted for high school education. The work must be in an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience to perform.

New for DV-2021, the primary applicant will also need to have a valid, unexpired passport. Individuals who are stateless, nationals of a Communist-controlled country are exempt from the passport requirement. Also exempt are beneficiaries of an individual waiver approved by the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of State.

Individuals born in countries whose natives qualify may be eligible to enter. If you were not born in an eligible country, there are two other ways you might be able to qualify.

Was your spouse born in a country whose natives are eligible? If yes, you can claim your spouse’s country of birth provided that both you and your spouse are named on the selected entry, are found eligible and issued diversity visas, and enter the United States simultaneously.
Were you born in a country whose natives are ineligible, but in which neither of your parents was born or legally resident at the time of your birth? If yes, you may claim the country of birth of one of your parents if it is a country whose natives are eligible for the DV-2021 program.

There are no fees involve in the application and the Department reminds participants that the registration is done only online at dvlottery.state.gov. Participants are also urged not to use third parties, “agents, or “visa consultants” to complete the registration on their behalf.