Many young people in Kenya dream of making it to the United States of America (USA) either for work purposes, higher education, or even for holidays. The US Department of State makes these dreams come true, especially the work dream because many consider America to have more job opportunities with higher earnings than Kenya. On Wednesday, October 4th, 2023, the U.S. Department of State opened the annual Diversity Visa (DV) lottery registration period for fiscal year (FY) 2025. The online registration program is free to all registrants and the State Department will continue to accept registrations until November 7, 2023.
The green card lottery program, officially known as the Diversity Visa program, runs for one month between October and November each year and gives citizens across the world to try their luck. The State Department will make 55,000 green cards available to foreign citizens for the fiscal year 2025. The program gives foreigners from countries, including Kenya that do not send many immigrants to the United States, the chance to receive a green card. According to the State Department, section 203(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) provides for a class of immigrants known as “diversity immigrants” from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States.
As the process is ongoing many will wonder what are the qualifications to apply for the program. Countries with lower rates of migrants in the US qualify for the program. Conversely, people born in countries with historically high rates of immigration to the United States are deemed ineligible to register for the DV lottery. Countries which are eligible include, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, The People’s Republic of China (including mainland and Hong Kong born), Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Korea (South Korea), Venezuela, and Vietnam. Natives of Macau SAR and Taiwan are eligible.
All DV lottery registrations must be completed online, must include a digital photograph, and applicants are permitted to include a spouse and children when entering the lottery. Only one entry is permitted per person, and if one person submits multiple registrations, all of their registrations will be disqualified. After registration is completed, the State Department’s DV will issue unique confirmation numbers that the lottery guidance reminds registrants to print and save their numbers. To combat fraud, the State Department will neither email nor affirmatively notify DV lottery selections directly. The entrant must also have either at least a high school education or two years of work experience in an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience to perform.
Starting May 4, 2024, each registrant will need to use his or her unique confirmation number to check the lottery status by going to the State Department’s DV lottery entrant status page for results.
The ONLY way to enter is through dvprogram.state.gov
Beware of fraud travel.state.gov/dvfraud
Learn more travel.state.gov/dv