The US Department of State has opened the annual Diversity Visa (DV) lottery programme, known as the Green Card, for applicants seeking to live and work in the United States.
In a statement, the US Department announced that the program will begin on Wednesday, October 4, and conclude on Tuesday, November 7, 2023.
The State Department will provide 55,000 green card opportunities for foreign citizens in the current programme.
"There is no cost to register for the DV program, but selectees who are scheduled for an interview will be required to pay a visa application fee prior to making their formal visa application, where a consular officer will determine whether they qualify for the visa," read part of the statement.
The Department of State will choose the 55,000 applicants randomly through its internal systems.
Qualifications
Education
All applicants must complete at least 12 years of primary and secondary school education.
This will be similar to a 12-year course in the United States.
No minimum age is required during the application, but the requirement of a high school education or work experience for each applicant for the application will mostly disqualify those who are under the age of 18 years.
Work Experience
Applicants should have at least two years of work experience in the last five years.
The department will use the US Department of Labour's database to determine the qualifying work experience. The database classifies job experience into five job zones.
These are categorised based on education, experience and training levels necessary to perform the job. It is ranked from Job Zone One to Five, where one requires little or no preparation while five requires extensive preparation.
According to the State Department, the job category is required to have a rating of 7.0 or higher.
Passport
All applicants must have a valid passport, as a passport number is required at the time of application. You are required to write your name as it appears on the passport.
"If your passport includes a first, middle and last/family name, please list them in the following order: last/family name, first name, middle name). If you have only one name, it must be entered in the last/family name field," read part of the statement.
"Only you as the principal applicant must meet these requirements, your spouse and children do not have to meet the requirements."
Eligible Country
The department has listed 53 countries in Africa whose residents can apply for the program. The countries are selected because they have in the past recorded low rates of immigrants into the United States.
However, the department offered an alternative for residents whose countries are not listed on the database if either your spouse or your parents are natives of a country already listed.
How to Apply
Applicants should register online through the US State Department website or visit a cyber. You should carry a passport-size photo, birth certificate or ID and submit the entry electronically on the DV website.
Notably, multiple and incomplete entries will lead to automatic disqualification. Applicants have until September 30, 2024, to check the status of their entry through the State Department's website.
