If you do not qualify for immigration to the United States through sponsorship by a family member or employee, you could be eligible to apply for a diversity visa. This specific type of visa is meant to boost immigration from countries that historically do not have high rates of immigration to the U.S. Up to 50,000 of them are made available through a lottery system every year.
However, even if you are randomly selected as a potential diversity visa recipient, you will still have to go through a lengthy application process and ensure you qualify actually receive a visa. A qualified attorney could help you understand every aspect of the diversity visa lottery in Bolingbrook and how you could complete the process to achieve legal entry into the United States.
Under normal circumstances, individuals can enter the diversity visa lottery through the U.S. State Department’s Electronic Diversity Visa website during a prescribed period of time each year that generally lasts about a month. Unfortunately, these dates are subject to change depending the decisions of political administrations, so it could be beneficial to seek clarification from a local attorney about when it could be possible to submit an application.
If a diversity visa lottery entrant is selected to apply, they must meet a variety of criteria related to their previous work experience and education as a demonstration of their eligibility. As of 2019, diversity visa recipients must also be able to present a valid passport number upon entry to the United States, unless they are coming from a Communist-controlled country in which they cannot acquire a passport, legally have no nationality, or have a specific waiver that exempts them from this requirement.
After being selected through the diversity visa lottery, an individual seeking to immigrate to Bolingbrook with a diversity visa must submit Form DS-260, Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration Application and include their Diversity Visa Program case number to indicate their eligibility to apply for a diversity visa. Depending on the circumstances, applicants may need to submit scanned copies of supporting documents as well, which a nearby immigration lawyer could help compile.
Once the DS-260 application and supporting documentation have been processed, a prospective diversity visa recipient will need to attend an interview at their nearest U.S. embassy or consulate, as well as receive a full medical examination from an authorized physician. If a diversity visa applicant has a spouse and minor children they wish to bring to the United States, those family members must attend the interview with them.
At the end of the interview, applicants will be informed whether they have been approved for a diversity visa and, if they were not approved, why their application was denied. If approved, once they legally enter the United States, diversity visa recipients can proceed to apply for Legal Permanent Resident status with the USCIS.
Diversity visas are only available in limited quantities, and even if you get through the lottery, you may still have a long way to go before potentially receiving a visa. Progressing through this application process can be tricky for anyone, but it can be especially complicated if individuals do not seek counsel from an experienced legal professional.
If you want to give yourself and your family the best chance at legal admission to the United States through the diversity visa lottery, retaining a skilled Bolingbrook lawyer could be crucial. Call today to see how a knowledgeable immigration attorney could help you.
