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Read about our U.S. immigration book in your own language:
If you want to immigrate to the USA, you need a visa that establishes your right to live in America permanently as a “Lawful Permanent Resident”. There are five (5) major categories of immigrant visas that convert to Green Cards (Lawful Permanent Resident status). They are:
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Family-sponsored green cards,
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Employment-based green cards, which includes investments by foreign nationals,
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Investment-based green cards,
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Political asylees/refugees based green cards, and
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Diversity visa lottery- (green card lottery) based.
United States Immigration. Depending on which specific green card you want, you must either apply yourself, or a relative or potential employer must apply on your behalf. Obtaining a green card can take anywhere from four months to 10 years depending upon the category under which you apply and sometimes depending upon your country of birth. Our sister website, myUSAi.org, has complete information on immigrating to the USA for each of these categories (1-4). And myUSAi has contacts with immigration attorneys, links to FREE immigration forms, and more.
Get a U.S. Green Card Via
The Diversity Visa Lottery
The diversity visa (green card lottery) is the easiest and fastest way to get a U.S. green card. To qualify for the lottery, all you need is to be born in a visa-eligible country and have a secondary high school education.
To enter the lottery, you have two choices: 1) you can enter yourself in October each year at the official U.S. government website, or 2) you can use a paid lottery service to register your application on your behalf any time of year. The decision to use a lottery service or not is a lot like using a paid tax preparer — it is mainly for the convenience:
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The convenience of being notified by email and/or phone if you win,
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The security of a service keeping your confirmation number safe (yes people do lose them),
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The service of accepting paper photos and scanning for you in the right format,
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The convenience of automatic multi-year entries and entering any time of year,
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The convenience of not worrying about ever-changing registration dates.
And good services provide their winners with links or direct access to immigration attorneys, and some even pay airfare to the United States, although this last option comes with increased fees. For a moderately sized family who registers with a service for two years and accept the paid travel option and other “extras”, the total fee can easily exceed several hundred dollars. And don’t forget the Immigrant Visa Application, Security fees, and Diversity Visa Surcharge fee can run over $800 USD per person.
The bottom line is that there are many circumstances in which a paid lottery service can help, but applicants must be careful to use an ethical service that has been in business for many years and avoid fraudulent ones. Fortunately, there is help for applicants who decide to use one.
MyGreencard.com reviews dozens of lottery services every year. Only a small percentage receive a high enough rating to qualify as a “top service.” If you use a service, use a highly rated one (“passed” or “top site”), and avoid most others that advertise on the Internet. Enter as soon as possible so they have time to contact you if there are issues with your photograph that they cannot correct. And feel free to rate your service here.
USA Immigration Tips
Our annual booklet, Win the Green Card Lottery! is the most comprehensive, current, and easy-to-read explanation of the diversity visa lottery available. It includes how to comprehend the monthly State Department Visa Bulletin and determine when your number is “Current”; understand how and when to choose consular processing versus adjustment of status; what to do if you are out of status; how to handle denials; and much more…
We include dozens of tips designed to help you avoid costly, expensive, and time-consuming pitfalls throughout the process. Here are some examples:
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How to increase your chances of winning the lottery
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What to do if you have a status violation
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How to claim alternate state chargeability
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DS-230 filing tips
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When to use an immigration attorney to file locally or file at a U.S. Consulate
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What to do if you have not heard from the KCC and your Ranking Number is Current
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When to use an approved American credential evaluator
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Why validate your passport beyond the six-month minimum
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And much more…
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