The State Department Announced The 2021 Diversity Visa Lottery Winners!

In recent weeks there has been a lot of news surrounding the immigration system and its ever-changing policies. However, there has been a bit of good news coming from the U.S. Department of State. Just last month, the agency announced the recipients of the 2022 Diversity Visa lottery!

For those who might not know, this green card lottery (Immigration Act of 1990) is designed to increase the diversity of immigrants coming to the U.S. Each year the program randomly selects 55,000 people from countries with the lowest number of immigrants applying for U.S. visas. By obtaining this highly recognized visa, individuals and families have a chance at citizenship!

More than 13 million people applied for this green card last year from October to November 2020. According to the State Department’s Visa Bulletin for August 2021, “No one country can receive more than seven percent of the available diversity visas in any one year.”

Lottery visa winners were selected from the following countries, according to Boundless:

Egypt: 6,005 visas

Sudan: 6,001 visas

Russia: 6,001 visas

Algeria: 6,001 visas

Uzbekistan: 6,001 visas

Iran: 5,739 visas

Ukraine: 4,949 visas

Morocco: 4,138 visas

Nepal: 3,802 visas

The Democratic Republic of the Congo: 3,347 visas

To be eligible for the Diversity visa, natives must be from a country that has sent less than 5,000 immigrants to the U.S. in the last five years. They must also have a high school degree or two years of work experience in a qualifying profession.

Agencies determine eligibility annually per immigration statistics. Canada, South Korea, and the U.K. were among a long list of countries that were not eligible for the 2022 lottery.

If you got selected for the 2022 lottery, you must act quickly! After getting accepted, you must follow the exact admission requirements of other green card applicants. Starting in October, the number of visas available will begin to run out. You’re encouraged to follow the instructions presented in your notification letter.

If you have questions about the process or trouble checking the visa website for registration dates, reach out to our law offices of immigration in Los Angeles! We can help you navigate through the complexities. Additionally, we can assist if you or your family need assistance with the 2023 Diversity Visa lottery.