Among them are Venezuela and Mexico: the countries that will leave the 2025 visa lottery.

Department of External Affairs (DOS) has announced the date for receipt of applications from Visa Lottery 2025: October 4, 2023 at noon. The same will close on November 7, 2023.

Most participate in the Diversity Visa (TV) lottery, which awards 55,000 permanent legal residents each year ( green card or green card) over 12 million competitors from around the world. Like last year, the 2025 draw saw Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Dominican Republic and Venezuela exit the popular tournament.

Other countries unable to participate this year are: Bangladesh, Canada, China, South Korea, India, Philippines, Jamaica, Nigeria, Pakistan and Vietnam.

The DOS Office of Consular Affairs explained that countries were excluded because they had sent more than 50,000 immigrants to the United States in the past five years.

Visa lottery regulations describe that citizens from countries with historically low immigration rates to the United States are eligible to participate.

“If you’re not a citizen of a country with historically low immigration rates in the U.S., there are two other ways you can qualify,” he adds.

Accepted Forms:

• Being the spouse of a first-time citizen from a country with historically low immigration rates to the United States; And
• If yes, you can claim your spouse’s country of birth as long as you and your spouse are named on the selected application form, are eligible, and hold one of the 55,000 residences.

DOS published on its digital page Contest RulesWhose applications will be received electronically from noon on Wednesday, October 4 to noon on Wednesday, November 8, 2023.

11 to 12 million contestants worldwide participate in the Visa Lottery draw every year. It is completely free and you can participate only by entering. Department of State website From the date the application reception window opens until it closes.

As in previous draws, the government recalled that the visa lottery is only open to nationals who meet certain requirements, including those with secondary school or equivalent education or two years of work experience, study or work experience.

Contest rules state that participants who do not meet the requirements “may not enroll in the DV-2024 program.”

The application to participate in the 2025 Visa Lottery must be completed in English.

DOS warns that only forms sent by noon on November 7th will be accepted as per the competition rules. “No application will be entertained after this deadline,” he noted.

Government advises that there is no fee to submit the registration form online. We also recommend that you use an updated browser when submitting your request. For example, older browsers such as Internet Explorer 8 may not allow you to progress through the electronic participation process.

It depends on whether you are inside or outside the US and whether you have ever been undocumented. Nelson Castillo, a doctor practicing immigration law in Los Angeles (California), warns, “Many people think that just because they win one of the green cards, all is forgiven, and that’s not the case.

“If it’s within the United States, there are two possibilities,” he adds. “If you go to the next level and have a better chance of getting an immigrant visa, you can. green cardYou should assess whether you can do it in or out of the country with the advice of a lawyer.

Castillo adds, “Before taking the next step, it’s important to determine if the person has an immigration and/or criminal record, because if they leave and violate immigration law, for example, due to undocumented presence, they won’t be there. Maybe for years to come back”.

“Each case is unique, delicate and you have to be very careful,” he later noted.

In the case of those who are undocumented but outside the United States and who went through the second phase of the visa lottery, “they should talk to an attorney because they may have immigration and/or criminal records.”

“Like the first case, they should not submit or send anything to the government without first consulting with legal counsel to evaluate the file,” Castillo explained.

“It’s easy to be out there, many people think they’ve already won residency, but there are requirements to be met in the following stages, some of which are complex,” he concluded.