From May 7, the results of the DV-2023 green card lottery became available and can be checked only by the confirmation number assigned to the participant immediately after registration. But in the six months that pass from the moment of registration to the announcement of the results, the number could well be lost. What to do in this case?
If you have lost your DV-2023 green card lottery confirmation code, the US State Department will help you recover it.
You can check the status of your lottery application until September 30, 2023 only on the official website www.dvprogram.state.gov.
On the site, you will need to enter the confirmation number you received after registration, specify the name, surname and year of birth of the applicant. For those who for some reason have lost or cannot find their verification number, the State Department website offers an option to recover it.
To do this, the participant needs to indicate the year of the Diversity Visa lottery, last name, first name, patronymic (if any), date of birth and the email address he used to register for the lottery.
It is worth remembering that winning the lottery does not guarantee receiving a green card. In order to immigrate to the United States, you must meet all the requirements for immigrant visa applicants. If you are already in the U.S. when you receive your green card notification, you have the option to change your U.S. status to immigration status.
What to do after receiving a message about winning.
Fill out the visa application form.
On the Consular Electronic Application Center website, you need to fill out the immigration visa application form - form DS-260. It is filled out in English.
In the questionnaire, you need to indicate personal data, marital status, provide information about the place of work, education, and the presence of criminal records. If your family has changed since you registered for the lottery (married, had a child), you must list the new family members on your DS-260 form, otherwise you may be disqualified. A separate DS-260 form for each family member.
This is an important nuance, and if you fill out one form for the whole family, you are immediately eliminated from the "get a green card" marathon. Once the DS-260 form is completed, the confirmation page should be saved to your computer and then printed. It, among other documents, must be taken with you to the interview. An interview date will be emailed to you after you complete the DS-260 form. Wait for a reply. First, you will receive an email with the following text: Your need or message must be received and directed to the appropriate group.
This is a standard letter that means your visa application has been received. And after 7-10 days, another letter will come to your e-mail, this time addressed to you personally, in which it will be indicated whether the center needs any additional information. In addition, the center will send you a letter with the appointment date of the interview at the embassy or consulate.
If you want to contact the Consular Center in Kentucky (Kentucky Consular Center), where all forms are processed, and find out what stage your case is at, you can send a request to the e-mail address: kccdv@state.gov.
At the beginning of the conversation, you must immediately state the case number (Case Number), the country in which the questionnaire was filled out, the name, surname and date of birth of the lottery winner.
Collect documents.
While the Consular Center in Kentucky studies your application forms and sets an interview date, do not waste time. Collect and translate into English the documents you need.
All documents that are not in English must be accompanied by a certified translation.
No notarization or apostille is required. You need to prepare the originals and translations of the following documents:
Passport
Birth certificate
Diplomas confirming education
Employment record
Certificate that you do not have a criminal record. If you have lived in several countries, similar certificates are required from each country.
Marriage/divorce certificates
For those who have served in the military - military ID
Bank statement
Real estate appraisal documents
Work certificate stating that you are an employee/company owner.
Pass a medical examination.
When you have been told the date of the interview, it is time to undergo a medical examination. This can be done only in special certified centers, the addresses of which can be found on the website.
The price of this procedure is on average $215 for each family member who plans to immigrate (the price may vary by $10-15 in different countries), and vaccination is paid for separately.
Pass the interview.
The medical commission is behind, the envelope for the consul is in hand, the date of the interview is set. For the interview, you will need the originals and translations into English of all documents, the results of the medical board and the invitation to the interview itself.
On the spot, at the embassy, you need to pay the visa fee - $330 for each family member. If you pass the interview, you will be granted a six-month visa. It is within 6 months that all family members, or only the main applicant, will need to enter the USA, otherwise the visa will be canceled. Also, after passing the interview, you will be given a sealed envelope, which you need to give to the officer at the airport.
Every year, the US government allocates 55,000 immigrant visas, which are drawn in the Green Card lottery. There are always many more applicants - an average of up to 9 million applicants participate in the draw every year.
Despite the fact that the visa is 55,000, more people always receive notifications about winning. The reason is that not everyone completes what they have started: some are not ready to bear the costs associated with issuing visas, some do not pass the medical examination or interview, some applicants are rejected due to incorrectly prepared documents.
Therefore, the news that you have won a green card is not yet a reason to celebrate. This is just a signal before the start of the marathon, which is about a year long.
