US DV lottery

US DV lottery

Obtaining Adjustment of Status With the US DV Lottery

Getting a diversity visa is not always easy especially as the number of applicants continues to grow each year. Annually, 50,000 visas are made available for the US DV lottery and are offered only to nationals that come from countries that have low immigration rates to the United States. An individual can register for the lottery between the months of October and December. This annual program allows you to apply online and through the mail but must conform to the strict guidelines established by the Department of State. Quite simply, if you are from a country that has had over 50,000 individuals immigrate to the United States over the period of the last five years; your country is automatically disqualified from the US DV lottery program.

If you are selected in the lottery program has by the US Department of State, a visa would be made available to you immediately at which time you must file the I-485 form. This form is the application for the adjustment of status which would make you admissible to the United States. Also, if you have won the lottery and obtained a visa, your immediate family members become automatically eligible to emigrate with you. However, for children that are over 21, you will have to apply under the preference category which can take up to five years for an approval. However if you get an immigration attorney involved early in the process, this entire procedure can be expedited so that your family will not stay apart for too long.

In order to apply for the form I-485 after you win the US DV lottery, you have to gather a lot of documentation before you become eligible to work in the United States. All the supporting evidence in your I-485 must be presented within 60 days of the notice of your lottery win. You will have to produce two passport size photographs along with copies of your birth certificate, not a certificate, your passport, any court records, and any proof of custody issues that you may require down the line. Once you furnish this information, you will be allowed to work even if your form I-485 is ending. If you must leave the country, you will have to apply for advance parole which gives you the permission to travel outside the United States and be admitted back in at your choosing. The fees for advance payroll however are quite high, so it is better to have the I-485 process expedited when possible. However, many individuals apply for advance but all in the event of an emergency as the process can take three weeks from the time of application.

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