Date of registration, which countries can apply and what you should know

(CNN Spanish) – This week, the US Department of State opens the call for the Diversity Visa Program for Immigrants, also known as the Visa Lottery, for the period 2024.

This program benefits more than 55,000 people from countries with low levels of immigration to the United States and is a path to legal citizenship in the United States.

Here’s what you need to know about how to apply for the 2024 Visa Lottery Program.

What is the Visa Lottery?

officially called Diversity Immigrant Visa Programthis program grants up to 55,000 people annually a visa or green card, which gives its holder permanent residence in the United States and, in the future, will allow these people to obtain US citizenship.

How it works?

People from certain countries with a low enough level of immigration to the United States can apply for visas at certain times each year. Most lottery winners live outside the United States, but some are in the country legally under other types of visas.

According to the formula provided by law, countries that have had more than 50,000 original immigrants to the United States in the past five years are ineligible.

Visas are also distributed by region: Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America, Central America and the Caribbean. The program is operated by the State Department.

Although people are randomly selected for visas, they still have to meet the security and eligibility requirements that all immigrants must meet to get their visas.

Registration date for 2024

For the 2024 program, registration opens at 12:00 PM ET on Wednesdays. October 5, 2022 Until Tuesday noon November 8, 2022.

Registration must be done through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs page dvprogram.state.gov.

The Department of State recommends that each person fill out the form themselves and not through agents or advisors; And in case someone helps you with the registration, they recommend that you attend.

The Department of State does not charge any fees to enroll in this program. Once you have filled out the form, you must keep the unique confirmation number and save the registration confirmation page as it is necessary to check the status of the application.

From May 6, 2023, you can check the status of your registration on the page dvprogram.state.gov with your unique confirmation number and personal information.

What countries are eligible to apply for the Diversity Visa Program?

Countries eligible to apply for the Diversity Visa Program are those that have had fewer than 50,000 original immigrants to the United States in the past five years.

across the American continent He will be able to applyamong others, citizens of:

• Argentina
• Bolivia
• Chili pepper
• Costa Rica
• Cuba
• Ecuador
• Guatemala
• Nicaragua
• Panama
• Paraguay
• Peru
• Uruguay

See the full list One of the countries that can apply for the program.

for the period 2024 They are not eligible Citizens:

• Bangladeshi
• Brazil
• Canada
• China (including Hong Kong)
• Colombia
• dominican republic
• savior
• Haiti
• Honduras
• India
• Jamaica
• Mexico
• Nigeria
• Pakistan
• philippines
• South Korea
• United Kingdom (excluding citizens of Northern Ireland and its territories
• Venezuela
• Vietnam

What requirements do I have to meet?

Specifically, DV program recipients must have at least a high school education or its equivalent and must have at least two years of work experience in a job that requires at least two years of training or experience within five years of joining. The date of application. It must also be acceptable to the United States. Categories of inadmissibility to the United States broadly include links to terrorism.

The process also includes a personal interview.

“In order to immigrate, those selected by DV must be accepted into the United States,” notes the State Department’s Information Handbook for Applicants.

Form DS-260, the online alien registration and immigrant visa application, and the consular agent, who will interview you in person, will ask you questions about your eligibility to immigrate under US law. These questions include topics related to crime and safety.

See more information at The official page of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Diversity Visa Program.

Some common mistakes when registering

• Do not apply if you do not have the minimum education level to do so
• Do not complete the process more than once, the system is very sophisticated and will disqualify you if it detects that you have submitted more than one request.
• Check again and again that you have written the names, surnames and personal data correctly. Don’t pay anyone who promises miraculous results in the process.
• When you enter to fill out the form, do so immediately, you are not allowed to save the information to continue later. You only have 60 minutes to fill in the information.
• Register all of your immediate family, spouse, and children under the age of 21, even if they do not live with you or plan to travel with you to the United States.
• If you are single and going to the interview stage, do not convince anyone to marry you to give them a visa.
• Do not submit photos that are more than six months old.

To see more common errors, click here.