Helping New New Yorkers
September 1999
It;s time to get ready for
the VD2001 green card lottery. The U.S. Department of State will accept DV2001
entries between noon (Eastern Time) on Monday, October 4, 1999 and noon (Eastern
Time) on Wednesday, November 3, 1999. The Department of State
won't
consider applications
received before or after those dates. If you're in the United States, don't
mail
your entry until October 4,
1997. That way you'll be sure your
entry won't arrive too early.
Here's the answer to some
common questions on the lottery:
Q. How do I get an entry form?
A. There's no official lottery entry form,
but you can get a sample form at no charge from the Department of State's web
site at http://travel.state.gov/dv2001.html.
Q. Where can I get more information about the lottery?
A. Besides the Department of State web site
noted above, you can get answers to your lottery green card question by calling
the New York Immigration Hotline at (718) 899-4000. You can get a brochure about the lottery
in English, Arabic, Chinese, French , Russian , or Spanish, by sending a self
addressed stamped envelope to the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs, 42
Broadway, New York, NY 10004, Attn: Visa Lottery.
Q. Can a lawyer help me increase my chances of winning?
A. No. The lottery entries are chosen
totally at random. No one can help you increase your chances of winning. If you are lucky enough to win the
lottery, that's the time to get expert assistance. Winning the lottery is just the first
step in getting permanent residence.
Lottery winners must got through the same complicated process as other
green card applicants.
Q. Who?s can win this year?s lottery?
A. You are eligible if you are a native of
any country except Canada, China?mainland Born and Taiwan born (Hong Kong S.A.R.
does qualify) Colombia, Dominican Republic, Great Britain (Northern Ireland does
qualify), Haiti India, Jamaica Mexico Poland Philippines, El Salvador, South
Korea, and Vietnam.
Q. Who is a native of a qualifying country?
A. Being a native of a qualifying country
has a special meaning under U.S.
immigration laws. You are a
native if 1) you were born in a qualifying country; 2) your husband or wife was born in a
qualifying country; or 3) you are
under 21 and unmarried and a parent was born in a
qualifying
country or; 4) one of your
parents is a native of a qualifying country and your parents didn't reside in
your country of birth.
Q. What other requirements are there for a lottery green card?
A. You must have a high school level
education from here or abroad. Or, you must have worked two of the last five
years in a job for which least two years' training or experience is a normal
requirement. The USCIS position is
that high school equivalency diplomas do not meet this requirement.
Q. I think I qualify for a lottery green card, but I'm not sure. Should I enter?
A. Yes, you should enter the lottery even
if you aren't sure that you qualify. You can worry about your qualifications if
you?re one of the lucky lottery winners.
Q. If I am not here legally, will the USCIS arrest me if I don't win the lottery?
A. Don't be afraid to enter the
lottery. The lottery rules don't
require you to reveal your
immigration status. Besides, entering the lottery doesn't
target you as an undocumented
immigrant, since many legal
nonimmigrants enter. You must
provide a mailing address so A. No. The U.S. Department of State will accept
applications from people living here or abroad. A. Your husband or wife and your
unmarried children under 21 can get immigrant visas when you do. That's true even if they didn't
qualify to enter on their own.
A. All family members who qualify should
submit separate lottery applications. If either you or your spouse wins, you
both can get green cards. By both
of you entering, you double your chances of winning. A. Countries are excluded from the list if
more than 50,000 people legally immigrated from that country in the past five
years. That number is based on USCIS
totals of family and employment based immigrants. A. No. The Department of State will
disqualify anyone who enters the lottery more than once per year. I've heard of people who got green cards
after sending in more than one entry, but I wouldn't risk
it.
Q. Must I be living in the
United States to apply?
Q. If I win the lottery, can
others in my family get green cards?
Q. Should my spouse and I each
file separate applications?
Q. How come the natives of some countries
aren't eligible for the lottery?
Q. Should I send in more than
one lottery entries to increase my chances of winning?