The 2022 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV-2022) recently announced the winners of an annual lottery. This is a unique type of raffle that applicants may enter to try to win an immigrant visa. Winners may apply for a visa during the next government fiscal year, which begins in October 2021 and ends in September 2022. The raffle helps tens of thousands of immigrants obtain an adjustment of status.
Winners must prove eligibility before applying for their visas
The DV-2022 program has stated that there were 55,000 entries selected as winners for the most recent visa raffle. However, in order to obtain their visas, those whose names were randomly drawn from the entry selections must prove that they are eligible to remain in the United States. The requirements they must meet include proof of admissibility, as well as proper submission of a DS-260 form. Each visa winner must also pass a consular interview.
A consular representative will conduct an interview
During the interview, an immigration official will ask an applicant security questions, as well as information about his or her criminal history, to determine if he or she is eligible for immigration to the United States. In other words, winning the DV-2022 lottery does not necessarily mean that each winner will, in fact, be able to obtain an immigration visa. Winning merely means that those who were selected in the drawing may initiate applications for visas.
U.S. residents who win may be eligible for green cards
If a lottery winner is already residing in Florida or another U.S. location under a non-immigrant or other legal status, they will be able to seek an adjustment of status through the green card application process as opposed to navigating the consular system of processing. There are qualification requirements that must be met immediately upon filing an application. Anyone who has questions about legal issues regarding the DV-2022 program may reach out for support by scheduling a meeting with an experienced immigration law attorney.
