Illinois Visa and Immigration Attorneys

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Every year, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) holds an immigrant visa lottery. Individuals who qualify for green cards under this process are referred to as Diversity Immigrants. An applicant may qualify as a diversity immigrant if he or she meets the following requirements:

• He or she must have a high school diploma or its equivalent.
• He or she must within 5 years of applying have at least 2 years of work experience in an occupation that requires at least 2 years training or experience.
• The applicant must submit an application to the CIS requesting to be chosen as a Diversity Immigrant.
• The applicant must have been born in a country which qualifies its citizens to apply for a Diversity Immigrant visa.
• If the applicant is chosen, his or her spouse and children are also eligible to receive immigrant visa status.

The selection process is a random selection each fiscal year. Thus, the process is frequently referred to as the visa lottery.