There are numerous ways that a foreign-born individual can immigrate to the U.S., including right here in Kentucky. One way is through the Diversity Visa Program — also known as the green card lottery. The 2020 fiscal year winners of the green card lottery have been randomly selected and will thus be eligible to apply for a green card if they qualify. The green card lottery benefits those who do not have a sponsor that can help them legally immigrate to the U.S.
There are several steps a person must take if they have been selected for U.S permanent residency through the green card lottery. First, the person must submit the appropriate paperwork to apply for permanent residency. A person can qualify for a green card in such situations if they fall under two categories. One category is if the person was born in one of several listed countries. People from certain countries may not be eligible to receive a green card through the green card lottery. The second category is that the person has a high school diploma or two years of work experience that requires two or more years of training over the previous five years.
The Kentucky Consular Center processes green card lottery forms. Then, those green card lottery winners who are permitted to migrate to the U.S. will have to provide certain types of supporting documents. An interview will then be held. Following that, the person may be awarded a visa.
As this shows, while the green card lottery is very helpful for some who wish to pursue U.S. permanent residency, simply being selected is not enough to obtain a visa. Certain requirements must be met, and certain steps must be taken to obtain a green card. This post provides a basic overview of the green card lottery, but it does not provide legal advice. Those who are interested in learning more about the green card lottery and how it applies to them will want to seek professional legal guidance for further information.
