DV lottery 2024 official website

USCIS Extends Automatic Green Card Validity to 24 Months for Green Card Renewals

Effective Sept. 26, 2022, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) automatically extended the validity of Permanent Resident Cards (also known as Green Cards) to 24 months for lawful permanent residents who file Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card.

Lawful permanent residents who file Form I-90 to renew an expiring or expired Green Card may receive this extension. Form I-90 receipt notices had previously provided only a 12-month extension.

USCIS has updated the language on Form I-90 receipt notices to reflect this new extension period and is currently printing amended receipt notices for individuals with pending Form I-90s. Please note that USCIS has not provided clarification on whether applicants whose I-90 applications have been pending for more than 12 months may use their existing I-90 receipt notices (before getting the new amended receipt notices) for international travel. Our office is monitoring the developments of this new rule and will send an updated alert once further clarifications are provided by USCIS.

Individuals can present these 24-month extension receipt notices with expired Green Cards as evidence of continued status.

If you no longer have your Green Card and need evidence of your lawful permanent resident status (for international travel or employment) while waiting to receive your replacement card, you may request an appointment at a USCIS Field Office to obtain an Alien Documentation, Identification, and Telecommunications (ADIT) stamp after you file Form I-90. For more information, visit USCIS’ Replace Your Green Card page.

If your mailing address changes while your case is pending, please update it through your USCIS Online Account, if you have one. 

Registration for 2024 Diversity Visa (Green Card) Lottery Opens Oct. 5, 2022

The U.S. Department of State will begin accepting online registration for the 2024 Diversity Visa (DV) lottery starting Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022, at noon EDT. For Fiscal Year 2024 (FY2024), the DV lottery will allow a maximum of 55,000 “diversity immigrants” to obtain permanent residence in the United States if they are from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. Entries for the DV-2024 lottery must be submitted electronically by noon EST on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022. Applicants may access the electronic Diversity Visa entry form (E-DV) at https://dv-lottery.us during the registration period. Paper entries are not accepted.

The DV lottery is administered on an annual basis by the U.S. Department of State. For FY2024, natives of the following countries remain ineligible to apply for the DV lottery because the countries sent a total of more than 50,000 immigrants to the United States in the previous five years: Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (including Hong Kong SAR), Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, Venezuela and Vietnam. Persons born in Macau SAR and Taiwan are eligible. Instructions for entering the DV-2024 lottery are available at the U.S. Department of State website: Diversity Visa Instructions (state.gov).

The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV Program) makes up to 50,000 immigrant visas available annually, drawn from random selection among all entries to individuals who are from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. The DV Program is administered by the U.S. Department of State (DOS).

Most lottery winners reside outside the United States and immigrate through consular processing and issuance of an immigrant visa. To learn more, visit the U.S. Department of State's website.

Diversity Visa Winners Legally Residing In the United States: Apply Through USCIS

There are, however, a small number of lottery winners each year who, at the time of “winning the lottery,” are residing in the United States in a nonimmigrant or other legal status. For these winners residing inside the United States, USCIS processes adjustment of status applications.

The following information applies to winners legally residing in the United States only.

Eligibility Criteria

Visa Availability

For visa availability, check the latest month's DOS Visa Bulletin. Section B contains a chart showing the current month's visa availability in the Diversity Immigrant category. The chart shows when the Diversity Immigrant cut-off is met. When the cut-off is met, visas will be available in that month for the applicants with Diversity Immigrant lottery rank numbers below the specified cut-off numbers for their geographic areas. 

Section C contains a chart showing the Diversity Immigrant category rank cut-offs for the following month, which represents the advance notification of Diversity Immigrant visa availability. As soon as a monthly Visa Bulletin is published, anyone with a lower rank number than the rank cut-off number shown in Section C is eligible to file for adjustment of status. This provides lottery winners the opportunity to file for adjustment of status up to six or seven weeks before a visa number can actually be allocated. This gives USCIS additional time to determine your eligibility for adjustment of status before the end of the fiscal year. 

A Diversity Immigrant-based adjustment application cannot be adjudicated until a visa can be allocated, as indicated in the Visa Bulletin’s current Diversity Immigrant rank cut-offs for a particular month.

Application Process and Supporting Evidence

Other Considerations

The adjustment of status process for diversity visa winners must be completed by September 30 of the fiscal year the lottery pertains to. Visas cannot be carried over to the next fiscal year.

Fraud Warning

Fraudsters may send you emails claiming you’ve won the Diversity Visa (Green Card) lottery.

Never send money to anyone who sends you a letter or email claiming you have won - learn how to protect yourself from scams.

When can I apply for DV Lottery 2024?

2024 Entrant Status Check DV-2024 Entrants may enter their confirmation information through the link below starting at noon (EDT) on May 6, 2023. The DV-2024 registration period opens on October 5, 2022, and closes on November 8, 2022 12:00 PM EST.

Is there a Green Card lottery for 2024?

For FY 2024, the U.S. Department of State DV lottery program will make up to 55,000 green card numbers available through random selection. Foreign nationals selected in the lottery will be eligible to submit a green card application during the 2024 fiscal year, which begins on October 1, 2023.

What are the requirements for DV Lottery 2024?

Q: What is the education requirement for the DV: A: The DV Program requires the principal applicant to have the equivalent to a US high school diploma, or its equivalent, or two years of qualifying work experience as defined under provisions of U.S. law.

Is India eligible for DV Lottery 2024?

For DV-2024, natives of the following countries/areas are not eligible to apply: Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (including Hong Kong SAR), Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Korea (South Korea), United Kingdom (except ...