2022 Diversity Immigrant Visa Lottery (DV-2022) Opens This Week

Each year, the U.S. government makes available 55,000 permanent resident (“green card”) visas to individuals from countries with low rates of immigration to the U.S. (see below) who have at least a high school diploma or its equivalent, or two years of work experience within the past five years in an occupation requiring at least two years of training or experience. Eligible applicants for DV-2022 will be entered into a random, computer-generated lottery drawing. Entrants can check the DV lottery website to see whether they have been selected beginning May 8, 2021.

The registration period for the 2022 Diversity Visa Lottery opened at noon Eastern Standard Time (EST) on Wednesday, October 7, 2020 and closes at noon EST on Tuesday, November 10, 2020. 

Please note that for this year’s lottery, natives of the following countries are not eligible to apply (because these countries sent a total of more than 50,000 immigrants to the U.S. in the previous five years): Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (including Hong Kong SAR), Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, and Vietnam. Persons born in Macau SAR and Taiwan are eligible. 

The Department of State reminds applicants to be aware of fraudulent websites posing as official U.S. government websites. In recent years, companies posing as government agencies have sought money in order to complete and submit DV entry forms. There is no charge to download and submit the Visa Lottery entry forms.