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American Green Card Application Closes Next Week, Have You Applied? Here’s The Details

Enterprise Team

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The 2021 Diversty Visa Program (DV-2021), famously known as the Green Card Lottery and officially known as Permanent Resident Card (PRC) closes on November 5th, 2019 at 12pm Eastern Standard Time. The registration period began at noon October 2nd Eastern Daytime Time.

The applicants must submit their entries for the DV-2021 program electronically at dvlottery.state.gov between the period mentioned above.

A total of 55,000 permanent resident visas (green cards) will be available through this program.

Applicants are advised not to wait until the last minute of the registration period to get into the Lottery as the high demand will result in website delays. Also, no late entries or paper entries will be accepted.

The story behind the lottery is America’s desire to maintain its diversity and status as the great “melting pot”.

One is able to apply for a Green Card by first finding out if he or she is eligible. Secondly, if you are eligible, file Form 1-485-Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), including all supporting documents and fees. The USCIS will then review your application and schedule an interview with you. Lastly, once issued, your Green Card will be valid for 10 years.

The DV program makes a limited number of immigrant visas available every year to people meeting certain eligibility requirements:

1. You must be a foreign citizen from a country with a low immigration rate to the United States. Each year, the U.S. Department of State puts out a list of eligible and ineligible countries. The list of countries may change each year. See the 2021 DV lottery instructions (PDF, Download Adobe Reader) for the most recent list.

2. You must have graduated from high school or its equivalent or have qualifying work experience.

The Law allows only one entry per person during each registration period. The State Department uses sophisticated technology to detect multiple entries. Persons with more than one entry will be disqualified.

The USCIS encourages people to complete the entry form by themselves without any aid of a “visa consultant or agent,” or other facilitator who offers help. If anyone is help out, he or she should be present when their entry is prepared so that they can provide the correct and accurate answers to the questions and retain the confirmation page and their unique confirmation number

Applicants are also cautioned against scammers who would try to take advantage of the, by getting their personal information or their money. The Department of the State will not send the applicants a letter or an email about winning a Green Card. They will be aware of the DV Lottery Results by checking online using their confirmation number.

Some of the privileges that a green card holder enjoys include the legal right to live and work in the U.S. on a permanent basis one is able to apply for many government jobs with a green card (though some are reserved for U.S. citizens). Green card holders also receive certain health, educational, and other benefits.

You can also petition for your spouse and unmarried children to receive their own green cards, though they will be classified as “preference relatives,” and due to annual limits on such visas, have to wait in line, probably for a few years, until a visa number becomes available.

You may keep your present citizenship in your native country, and you may apply for U.S. citizenship at a later time. That time period is five years for most green card holders, but three years for people who were married to and living with a U.S. citizen the entire time.

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