A Green Card Lottery Visa. Boy, what a mouthful! Yet, when you pick it apart and get down to the details, it is really a very simple program. Every year, the United States allows a certain number of people to (legally) enter the country. Each is issued a visa to do so, the so called “Green Card.” Well, each year, the U.S. Government sets aside between 50,000 to 55,000 of those visas to give out via a lottery held in October.

The system is officially known as the Diversity Visa Lottery Program. Now, considering the huge numbers of people who want a visa, the chances of winning are quite slim. Yet, there is always that chance! And, after all, someone has to win, so why not take a chance and see if it happens? Every year, thousands of people sign up to take a chance at the lottery. The program is available in many countries, and many people all over the world apply.

First, each year, you can to apply to the lottery for green cards. And, in keeping with current technology, the application process can be carried out online. All it requires is that you log into the U.S. State Department website. Yet, that is but the first step. If you win, that is no guarantee that you will get into the country. That is just the first step in the process. Next, there is a fee of $750 U.S. Dollars, which is paid to the U.S. Embassy in the country where you applied. But, here is a bit of good news: you only pay that fee if you win. There is no cost associated with the initial application.

After that comes several medical exams, all of which must be passed. In addition, the U.S. Government generally wants professional people to win. So, you must have an advanced level of higher education. Or, at the very least, you must have worked in some sort of professional position for a minimum of two years, and done so within the past five years!

If, after all that, you still meet their requirements, the ordeal is not over yet. No, there is still more to come. The United States, like any other nation, has enough of a crime problem to deal with on its own, thank you very much. So, they insist on a very thorough background check. And, not just any simple police investigation. No, the checking is done by the United States. So, not only do you have to be a professional to win, you must also have a clean police record before.

So, it is easy to see that the Green Card Lottery Visa is not the simplest of programs. But, it is a means of getting into the United States legally. So, when you consider the prize, it is an excellent program to enroll in. As they say, if you don’t try, you can never win.