What to Do If You Win the DV Lottery: The Complete Guide

The moment you discover you've won the DV Lottery can be a moment of great excitement, quickly followed by a flood of questions about what to do next, as winning the DV Lottery is only the beginning of a detailed process.

This article explains what happens after you win the DV lottery, outlines the essential steps, and offers preparation tips for making the most of your DV Lottery success and becoming a US resident.

Table of contents

• How are DV Lottery Winners Being Selected?
• Diversity Visa Eligibility and Requirements
• How to Check if You Have Won the DV Lottery?
• Filling Out the DS-260 Form: Brief Instructions
• Documents Required to Apply for Diversity Visa After Winning the Lottery
• Paying Diversity Visa Fees
• Medical Examination Process
• Green Card Interview for the DV Lottery Winners
• Entering the USA on Immigrant Visa and Obtaining a Green Card
• Get a Green Card Photo Online!
• USCIS/Green Card Photo App

How are DV Lottery Winners Being Selected?

The Green Card Lottery benefits include the ability to live and work freely in the U.S. permanently, social advantages, easier travel to and from the country, and the chance to later apply for US citizenship.

About 50,000 visas are available each year in the DV Lottery, which is aimed at people from countries that don't often move to the USA. Of the 100,000 to 150,000 hopefuls worldwide, only about half win the chance to apply for a visa.

So, how Green Card winners are selected? The Department of State selects winners through a random computer drawing. It allocates a set number of visas to different regions worldwide, ensuring that no country receives more than 7% of the total diversity visas yearly.

Diversity Visa Eligibility and Requirements

To be eligible for the Diversity Visa, there are a few boxes you need to check, according to the U.S. Department of State:

• Place of birth. You should come from a country that hasn't sent more than 50,000 people to the US in the last five years. This excludes countries with high immigration levels to the U.S., such as Canada, China, India, Mexico, and the United Kingdom.
• Your educational or professional background. You must have graduated from high school or have worked for two years within the last five years in a job that requires at least two years of training. The types of jobs that count are decided by the U.S. Department of Labor.
• Type of work experience. Your work experience should be in fields that are considered more skilled, which the U.S. Department of Labor lists as Job Zone 4 or 5 with a Specific Vocational Preparation (SVP) level of 7.0 or higher.
• Family Connections. Even if you were born in a country that doesn't qualify, you may still be able to apply. This can happen if your spouse was born in an eligible country or if you choose to use your parents' country of birth for eligibility, provided your parents were not living in your country at the time of your birth.
• You can not be eligible for a Green Card if you have certain criminal records, such as aggravated felonies, illegal drug involvement, or crimes involving moral turpitude.
• Some medical conditions may also complicate or prevent you from obtaining a green card.

Please note that your family members must meet the same criteria as any other U.S. green card applicant.

How to Check if You Have Won the DV Lottery?

How can I know if I win the DV lottery? The only way to determine if you're a Diversity Visa Lottery winner is through the official Entrant Status Check (ESC) on the U.S. Department of State website. Here's what you need to do:

1. Go to the Entrant Status Check page of the official DV Lottery website.
2. Enter Your Confirmation Number. You'll need your 16-digit Confirmation Number, which starts with the year you entered the lottery.
3. Enter your last name and the year you were born.
4. See if you've won. If you're one of the lucky ones, you'll receive instructions on how to begin your immigrant visa application.

Do you get email if you win DV lottery? Remember, the U.S. Government does not use email to notify Green Card Lottery winners that they've won! The only real way to check if you've been selected is to use the Entrant Status Check on the official DV Lottery website, as described in the instructions above. If you receive an email telling you you've won the DV Lottery, be careful – it's probably a scam.

So, what happens if you are selected for the DV lottery? If the Electronic Diversity Visa (E-DV) website notifies you that you've been selected for the next steps in the Diversity Immigrant Visa program, you'll need to complete the listed tasks quickly before you go to the consulate for an interview to see if you'll receive a visa. Complete these steps as soon as possible, as you must finish your application and get your visa by the end of the government's fiscal year.

What are you given when you win the DV lottery? If selected, the E-DV system will provide you with your rank (or case) number, determining when to apply for your visa and providing further instructions.

Please remember that just because you're selected doesn't mean you're guaranteed a visa. To actually get a DV and move to the United States, you must meet all the rules and requirements under U.S. law.

Filling Out the DS-260 Form: Brief Instructions

One of the required documents for your application is a completed DS-260 form for your immigrant visa application. You can find the form on the official website. Here is a simple guide on how to fill out the DS-260 form:

1. Go to the Consular Electronic Application Center on the State Department website to find the DS-260 form.
2. Before you start, ensure you have your Case Number, beneficiary ID number, and the Invoice Number that came with your welcome letter from the National Visa Center (NVC). Enter your Case Number into the field to get started.
3. Fill it out in English. Write everything on the DS-260 form in English. If you have names or addresses that use different writing systems, change them to the Roman alphabet.
4. Fill in your personal and contact details.
   • List All Children. You must list all of your children here – this includes stepchildren, adopted children, and your own children, regardless of their age or whether they are moving with you.
   • List Where You've Lived. Write down all the places you've lived since you turned 16, not just the places where you officially made your home.
   • You need to fill out a DS-260 form for each family member coming with you. If there are new family members not listed in your original lottery application (like a new spouse or child), add them by clicking “Add Applicant.”
5. Double-check everything before you submit the form because you can't change anything once it's been submitted.
6. Print the confirmation. Once you've submitted the DS-260 form online, print the confirmation page. It has a barcode that you'll need for your visa interview at the U.S. Consulate.

Please, keep in mind that if you're inactive for more than 20 minutes, the form times out. Remember to save as you go to not lose any progress.

Read more: Filing DS-260 for DV Lottery Winners: Full Guide

Documents Required to Apply for Diversity Visa After Winning the Lottery

After winning the DV lottery, you will need the following documents to apply for your immigrant visa:

• Passports. You and your family included in the application must have passports valid for at least 6 months after you plan to enter the U.S.
• Proof of winning. Have the confirmation number you received when you applied for the DV lottery.
• Proof of education or employment. You'll need a high school diploma or proof of at least two years of employment requiring two years of training.
• Completed Form DS-260 (the immigrant visa application) + original copies of all documents you uploaded. For your interview, bring the DS-260 confirmation page.
• Medical examination results. You'll need medical examination reports from a State Department-approved physician.
• Visa fee payment proof.
• Two recent photographs measured 2x2 inches or 51x51 mm.
• Interview Appointment Letter.

For more detailed information about supporting documents, check the DV Program Documents page of the State Department website.

Paying Diversity Visa Fees

Applying for the DV Lottery is free, but if you win, there's a $330 fee for each person applying for a visa with you. This fee is required to complete the visa application process and get your Green Card.

Fees are subject to change, so, please, check the Fees page and look for the Diversity Visa Lottery Fee option for current prices.

Medical Examination Process

Regardless of age, every person applying for an immigrant visa must have a medical examination by a doctor approved by the embassy. Get this done quickly, as all exams and tests must be completed before your visa interview at the embassy. They'll package the results and give them to you in a sealed envelope to take to your visa interview.

For those who've won the DV lottery, your medical exam will include:

• A review of your medical history.
• A general health check.
• A chest x-ray.
• Blood work if you're 15 or older.
• Tuberculosis (TB) tests if you're 2 or older, even if you're pregnant.
• Vaccinations. You'll need to bring your immunization records. The shots you will need include chickenpox, influenza, hepatitis B, and others depending on your age. If you're missing any, you can usually get them at the medical center. If you can't get certain shots for health reasons, you'll need a doctor's note to prove it.

Green Card Interview for the DV Lottery Winners

Once you have won the DV Lottery, you'll need to go to a U.S. Embassy or Consulate in your country for a visa interview before you can get your Green Card. Be sure to read all the instructions from the embassy carefully and gather all the necessary documents (their original copies) well in advance.

During the DV Lottery interview, you may be asked about your education and work experience; your previous trips to the U.S., if any, and your criminal record, if you have one; your family and, if you're married; your plans to live and work in the U.S.

If everything goes well and you're approved, they'll stamp your passport and give you a sealed package. You can't open this packet, as it's to be given to Customs when you enter the U.S.

If there's a problem or they need more information, they'll tell you what additional documents to bring. It's important not to delay because your interview must take place before the end of the fiscal year (September 30) after you are selected. Waiting too long could mean missing out on your Green Card.

Entering the USA on Immigrant Visa and Obtaining a Green Card

When you arrive in the USA, there are a few steps at the airport or border. First, you'll meet with a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer. They'll check to see who you are and then send you to a separate area for new arrivals.

In this second area, they'll look at your papers, including a packet you cannot open. It's got all your immigration information in it. If everything checks out, they'll put a stamp in your passport. This stamp means you're officially allowed to live in the USA permanently.

Your Green Card, which says you can live and work in the U.S. forever, will be mailed to you in a few weeks.

Having a Green Card means you're allowed to live and work in the U.S. as a permanent resident, but it also means you must follow some rules. One big rule to remember is that you can't be out of the U.S. for more than a year without getting special permission to come back.

Get a Green Card Photo Online!

Take a compliant Green Card photo or US visa photo online with Visafoto.com! It's super user-friendly and boasts a remarkable 99.7% photo success rate.

Take your smartphone or digital camera, find a simple white wall for your backdrop, take a picture, and upload it to Visafoto.com. We will ensure your photo meets all the Green Card requirements, like the right size, face position, and background color. If you are unhappy with how your photo turns out, we will offer a 100% money-back guarantee.

We will also provide you with your Green Card/USCIS photo in two formats: a digital version for online submissions and a template for printing.

Take an image with a smartphone or camera against any background, upload it here, and instantly get a professional photo for your visa, passport, or ID.

You will get two files from Visafoto: a digital photo for electronic applications and a template ready for printing.

USCIS/Green Card Photo App

Take your USCIS/Green Card photo right from your smartphone with the 7ID app from Visafoto.com. Designed for taking professional ID, passport, and visa photos, the app is compatible with both iPhone and Android.

Just upload your image to the app, pick the document and the country, and let 7ID do its magic. It auto-fixes your photo to fit official requirements, adjusting size, and format, and ensuring your face and eyes are perfectly aligned.

7ID also prepares your photo for printing on common paper sizes like 4×6 inches, A4, A5, or B5, so you can print it out right away.

For such important documents as USCIS/Green Card, there's a 7ID’s Expert Mode that uses advanced technology to adjust your photo, no matter how complex the background. And if you run into any problems, our 24/7 technical support team is always ready to help.

Take a perfect photo for your Green Card with the 7ID App or Visafoto.com and speed up your Diversity Visa application process!

Good luck with your visa application!