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US Green Card Lottery requirements
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 Requirements

The Department of State annually publishes a list of countries that are excluded from eligibility. If your country of citizenship is included in this list, you are ineligible to apply based on that citizenship. Nevertheless, please continue reading to explore alternative eligibility options.

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These countries include:

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  • Bangladesh

  • Brazil

  • Canada

  • China (including Hong Kong)

  • Colombia

  • Dominican Republic

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  • El Salvador

  • Haiti

  • Honduras

  • India

  • Jamaica

  • Mexico

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  • Nigeria

  • Pakistan

  • Philippines

  • Republic of Korea (South Korea) 

  • Venezuela

  • Vietnam​

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For DV-2025 accepted countries are: 

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AFRICA

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  • Algeria

  • Angola

  • Benin

  • Botswana

  • Burkina

  • Faso

  • Burundi

  • Cameroon

  • Cabo

  • Verde

  • Central African Republic

  • Chad 

  • Comoros 

  • Congo 

  • Congo, Democratic Republic of

the  Cote D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) 

  • Djibouti 

  • Egypt* 

  • Equatorial

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  • Guinea 

  • Eritrea 

  • Eswatini

  • Ethiopia 

  • Gabon 

  • Gambia

  • The  Ghana 

  • Guinea 

  • Guinea-Bissau 

  • Kenya 

  • Lesotho 

  • Liberia 

  • Libya 

  • Madagascar 

  • Malawi 

  • Mali 

  • Mauritania 

  • Mauritius 

  • Morocco

  • Mozambique

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  • Namibia

  • Niger

  • Rwanda

  • Sao Tome

  •  Principe Senegal

  • Seychelles

  • Sierra Leone

  • Somalia 

  • South Africa 

  • South Sudan 

  • Sudan

  • Tanzania

  • Togo

  • Tunisia

  • Uganda

  • Zambia

  • Zimbabwe

  • Israel*

  • Japan***

  • Jordan* 

  • Kuwait 

  • Laos 

  • Lebanon 

  • Malaysia 

  • Maldives 

  • Mongolia 

  • Nepal 

  • North Korea

  • Oman 

  • Qatar 

  • Saudi Arabia 

  • Singapore 

  • Sri Lanka 

  • Syria* 

  • Taiwan** 

  • Thailand 

  • Timor-Leste 

  • United Arab

  • Emirates  Yemen 

ASIA

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Natives of the following Asia Region countries are not eligible for this year’s Diversity Visa program:  Bangladesh, China (including Hong Kong), India, Pakistan, South Korea, Philippines, and Vietnam.   

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  • Afghanistan 

  • Bahrain 

  • Bhutan 

  • Brunei 

  • Burma 

  • Cambodia 

  • Indonesia

  • Iran

  • Iraq

* Persons born in the areas administered prior to June 1967 by Israel, Jordan, Syria, and Egypt are chargeable, respectively, to Israel, Jordan, Syria, and Egypt.  Persons born in the Gaza Strip are chargeable to Egypt; persons born in the West Bank are chargeable to Jordan; persons born in the Golan Heights are chargeable to Syria. 

** Macau S.A.R. (Europe region, chargeable to Portugal) and Taiwan (Asia region) do qualify and are listed.  For the purposes of the diversity program only, persons born in Macau S.A.R. derive eligibility from Portugal. 

***Persons born in the Habomai Islands, Shikotan, Kunashiri, and Etorofu are chargeable to Japan. Persons born in Southern Sakhalin are chargeable to Russia.    

 

 

NORTH AMERICA

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  • The Bahamas

EUROPE

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  • Albania

  • Andorra

  • Armenia

  • Austria

  • Azerbaijan

  • Belarus

  • Belgium

  • Bosnia and Herzegovina

  • Bulgaria

  • Croatia 

  • Cyprus 

  • Czech Republic 

  • Denmark 

  • Estonia 

  • Finland 

  • France (including components and   dependent areas overseas) 

  • Georgia 

  • Germany 

  • Greece 

  • Hungary

  • Iceland

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  • Ireland

  • Italy

  • Kazakhstan

  • Kosovo

  • Kyrgyzstan

  • Latvia   

  • Liechtenstein

  • Lithuania

  • Luxembourg

  • Macau Special Administrative Region**

  • North Macedonia

  • Malta

  • Moldova 

  • Monaco 

  • Montenegro 

  • Netherlands

  • Northern Ireland

  • Norway

  • Poland 

  • Portugal 

  • Romania 

  • San Marino 

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  • Serbia  

  • Slovakia 

  • Slovenia 

  • Spain 

  • Sweden 

  • Switzerland 

  • Tajikistan 

  • Turkey 

  • Turkmenistan 

  • United Kingdom

  • Ukraine 

  • Uzbekistan 

  • Vatican City

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​CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA

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 Natives of the following South American countries are not eligible for this year’s Diversity Visa program: Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico and Venezuela.

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  • Antigua and Barbuda

  • Argentina

  • Barbados

  • Belize

  • Bolivia

  • Chile

  • Costa Rica

  • Cuba

  • Dominica

  • Ecuador

  • Grenada

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  • Guyana

  • Nicaragua

  • Panama

  • Paraguay

  • Peru

  • Saint Kitts and Nevis

  • Saint Lucia

  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

  • Suriname

  • Trinidad and Tobago

  • Uruguay

OCENIA​

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  • Australia

  • Fiji

  • Kiribati

  • The Marshall Islands

  • Micronesia

  • The Federated States of Nauru

  • New Zealand

  • Palau

  • Papua New Guinea

  • Samoa Solomon Islands

  • Tonga

  • Tuvalu

  • Vanuatu

Digital World Map

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Education and/or work experience:

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After winning in the DV Lottery, you must prove that you meet one of the following educational requirements:

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  • Your educational level is at least equivalent to an American high school diploma (at least 12 years) or

  • Within the last five (5) years, you have worked for at least two (2) years in a profession that requires at least two years of training.

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Proof of these prerequisites is only necessary when a lottery participant wins a Green Card. They are not necessary at the time of applying for the DV Lottery.

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Recommendation:
If you do not have the equivalent of a high school degree and are not sure if your job requires "two years of training" you should check the US Department’s of State Online Database ONET. Type in your profession and click on "Summary." You will find an analysis of how many years of experience in your job are needed in the chapter "Job Zone."

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