US Diversity Visa Lottery Applicants Remained Near Record in 2017

Over 22.4 million people in 2017, The number of applicants was close to the record high of 23 million applications in 2016

NEW YORK, NY, August 29, 2018 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Over 22.4 million people in 2017 applied to the U.S visa program offering up to 50,00 green cards – which grant lawful permanent residence – through a lottery system each year, according to an analysis of U.S State Department.

The number of applicants was close to the record high of 23 million applications in 2016, and came as President Trump and his administration sought an end to the program; the only visa lottery program in the entire world. However, President Trump failed to terminate the program as the US Congress voted against him as they voted in favour of keeping the Green Card Lottery. Therefore, you should now apply for the 2018 (DV-2020) Program online on www.usgreencardoffice.com

Over 200 million people from countries all across the world have applied to the visa lottery since 2005. The aim of the lottery is to diversify the immigrant population of the country by granting immigrants from underrepresented nations visas to allow them entry into the country.

Eight countries had at least one million people apply in 2016, which accounted for over half of the total applicants. Those countries were Iran, Ghana, Uzbekistan, Nepal, Egypt, Sierra Leone, and Ethiopia. 2016 is the latest year where this kind of country-specific data is available.

Some countries saw a significant amount of the population apply for the lottery during 2016. For example, Liberia saw roughly 15% of the entire population of the country apply for the visa lottery. The other African countries that saw a large share like this were Sierra Leone (14%) and Ghana (8%). This phenomena was recorded in European countries as well including Albania (13%), Moldova (11%), and Armenia (9%). Uzbekistan had 7% of their total population apply, while 4% of the citizens in Nepal applied. All in all, roughly 1% of the people in eligible countries applied to be part of the program.

The regional breakdown of the original location of immigrants who actually receive a diversity visa has changed over time, according to figures from the U.S State Department. The department sets regional quotas for the visas based on the number of immigrants that have entered the U.S from certain regions in recent years. When the diversity lottery began in the fiscal year 1995, citizens from European countries – including members of the former Soviet Union – received the lion's share of the visas (around 24,000). In the fiscal year for 2017, which ended on September 30, the visas primarily went to people from African countries (around 19,000), while the applications from Europe (roughly 21,000) and Asia (around 8,000) got less visas.

The immigrants from the US Diversity Visa Lottery account for a very small percentage – roughly 5% - of the one million people (on average) granted a green card each year in the country. While it is small in size, the lottery stands out because it places so few restrictions on who is eligible for the visa. At the very least, applicants should have a high school education or two years of work experience. Other nations will prioritize work skills, humanitarian need, and family relationships when offering people permanent residency. New Zealand does have a visa lottery program, but theirs is much smaller in scale and is only open to residents of neighboring island nations.

How the US Diversity Visa Lottery Works

Since the visa began in fiscal 1995, applications have been taken for several weeks out of the year, typically during the fall. The visa applicants are selected at random and are eligible to enter the U.S around two years after they applied. For example, someone that entered the 2017 diversity visa lottery would have until September 30, 2019, in order to obtain their diversity visa.

Those who are eligible for the lottery will have few barriers with their initial applications, as there is no fee involved. Even so, it's highly recommended that you take advantage of a professional paid immigration service such as US GREEN CARD OFFICE. They offer their services in a range of languages and they ensure your application won't be disqualified to give you the best chance of a successful application.

Around 65% of applicants are disqualified each year because of simple mistakes. This is the main reason to call the professionals for their help. A paid service will cost just $80.00 for a single application and $120 for a family application. This is a small price to pay to ensure that your application is submitted without any errors and you have the highest chance to earn a green card.

If someone is selected to receive a diversity visa then they have to submit to more detailed security and background checks, along with interviews and health screenings. They will also be asked to pay $330.00 for the Visa unless they have used The US GREEN CARD OFFICE paid service then the $330.00 is waived. Once a diversity visa recipient enters the United States, they are granted lawful permanent residence status, which allow them permissions to work and live in the country permanently.

The main restriction of the diversity visa lottery is that applicants must come from countries that have sent less than 50,000 immigrants to the United States across the past five years. This means that people from Mexico, China, Canada, United Kingdom and India – the primary countries of origin for American immigrants recently – will not be eligible. The list of countries that are eligible changes each year. For example, due to an increase in immigration to the U.S, citizens from Bangladesh have been ineligible since 2011, and Nigerian citizens have been ineligible since 2013. Others will be able to try the visa lottery as long as immigration slows down. This happened with Russia - who became eligible again in 2008 – and Poland – who became eligible once again from 2012.

You can read more about the upcoming DV2020 Diversity Visa Program on https://www.usgreencardoffice.com

Dreams can come true and, when you've got a U.S Green Card in your pocket, you're already living the dream.

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