Skip to main content

Nixon Peabody LLP

  • People
  • Capabilities
  • Insights
  • About
Trending Topics
    • People
    • Capabilities
    • Insights
    • About
    • Locations
    • Events
    • Careers
    • Alumni
    Practices

    View All

    • Affordable Housing
    • Community Development Finance
    • Corporate & Finance
    • Cybersecurity & Privacy
    • Entertainment & Media
    • Environmental
    • Franchising & Distribution
    • Government Investigations & White Collar Defense
    • Healthcare
    • Intellectual Property
    • International Services
    • Labor, Employment, and Benefits
    • Litigation
    • Private Wealth & Advisory
    • Project Finance
    • Public Finance
    • Real Estate
    • Regulatory & Government Relations
    Industries

    View All

    • Aviation
    • Cannabis
    • Consumer
    • Energy
    • Financial Services
    • Healthcare
    • Higher Education
    • Infrastructure
    • Manufacturing
    • Nonprofit Organizations
    • Real Estate
    • Sports & Stadiums
    • Technology
    Value-Added Services

    View All

    • Alternative Fee Arrangements

      Developing innovative pricing structures and alternative fee agreement models that deliver additional value for our clients.

    • Continuing Education

      Advancing professional knowledge and offering credits for attorneys, staff and other professionals.

    • Crisis Advisory

      Helping clients respond correctly when a crisis occurs.

    • DEI Strategic Services

      Providing our clients with legal, strategic, and practical advice to make transformational changes in their organizations.

    • eDiscovery

      Leveraging law and technology to deliver sound solutions.

    • Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)

      We help clients create positive return on investments in people, products, and the planet.

    • Global Services

      Delivering seamless service through partnerships across the globe.

    • Innovation

      Leveraging leading-edge technology to guide change and create seamless, collaborative experiences for clients and attorneys.

    • IPED

      Industry-leading conferences focused on affordable housing, tax credits, and more.

    • Legal Project Management

      Providing actionable information to support strategic decision-making.

    • Legally Green

      Teaming with clients to advance sustainable projects, mitigate the effects of climate change, and protect our planet.

    • Nixon Peabody Trust Company

      Offering a range of investment management and fiduciary services.

    • NP Capital Connector

      Bringing together companies and investors for tomorrow’s new deals.

    • NP Second Opinion

      Offering fresh insights on cases that are delayed, over budget, or off-target from the desired resolution.

    • NP Trial

      Courtroom-ready lawyers who can resolve disputes early on clients’ terms or prevail at trial before a judge or jury.

    • Social Impact

      Creating positive impact in our communities through increasing equity, access, and opportunity.

    • Women in Dealmaking

      We provide strategic counsel on complex corporate transactions and unite dynamic women in the dealmaking arena.

    1. Home
    2. Insights
    3. Articles
    4. Applying for the Diversity Green Card Lottery

      Articles

    Article

    Applying for the Diversity Green Card Lottery

    Oct 10, 2024

    LinkedInX (Twitter)EmailCopy URL

    By Courtney New and Mary-Benham Nygren

    Applications for Diversity Visas, available to natives from low immigration rate countries, will be accepted from October 2, 2024, to November 7, 2024, for the federal fiscal year 2026.

    Each year, 55,000 immigrant visas are made available through a Diversity Visa Lottery to natives of countries with low rates of immigration to the United States.

    The US Department of State selects applications randomly from all qualified entries.

    When are applications accepted?

    Diversity Visa Lottery entries for the upcoming federal fiscal year can be submitted from October 2, 2024, at 12:00 noon, Eastern Daylight Time, until November 7, 2024, at 12:00 noon, Eastern Standard Time.

    Who can apply for a Diversity Visa?

    Natives of the following countries are not eligible to apply for permanent resident status through the Diversity Visa Lottery: Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, The People’s Republic of China (including mainland and Hong Kong born), Colombia, Cuba, 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.

    A lottery applicant must possess a valid and unexpired passport as well as either a high school diploma or two years of qualifying work experience within the past five years.

    Please note that spouses can each file a lottery application if they each meet the eligibility requirements independently. If one spouse is selected, both will be eligible for green cards, as will all their minor children.

    A “winner” can save his/her employer significant time, money, and aggravation by avoiding the normal green card process. Applicants currently possessing H or L visas need not worry about concurrently stating immigrant and nonimmigrant intent. Applicants currently possessing other types of visas should review this issue carefully before applying for the lottery.

    How can one apply for the Diversity Lottery?

    Foreign nationals eligible and interested in applying can find additional information on the State Department’s Diversity Visa Lottery website, including the Lottery Entry Form that must be completed online. There is no cost for foreign nationals to register for the Diversity Visa Lottery.

    Entrants will be able to check the status of their applications and determine if they have been selected beginning May 3, 2025.

    What happens after an applicant receives a lottery selection?

    A lottery applicant selected in the Diversity Visa Lottery will be given the opportunity to apply for permanent residence on his/her own behalf and on behalf of his/her spouse and any unmarried children under the age of 21.

    If selected in the lottery, the applicant must pay the required visa fees as part of the application and interview process.

    If permanent residence is granted (i.e., the issuance of a “green card”) to a lottery winner, the lottery winner will be authorized to live and work permanently in the United States.

    Practices

    Immigration

    Insights And Happenings

    • Article

      Options available when an employee is not selected in the H-1B visa lottery

      April 2, 2024
    • Article

      The H-1B lottery registration period will be March 6 to 22, 2024

      Jan 31, 2024
    • Article

      Department of State to resume stateside renewal of certain H-1B visas

      Dec 28, 2023
    The foregoing has been prepared for the general information of clients and friends of the firm. It is not meant to provide legal advice with respect to any specific matter and should not be acted upon without professional counsel. If you have any questions or require any further information regarding these or other related matters, please contact your regular Nixon Peabody LLP representative. This material may be considered advertising under certain rules of professional conduct.

    Subscribe to stay informed of the latest legal news, alerts, and business trends.Subscribe

    • People
    • Capabilities
    • Insights
    • About
    • Locations
    • Events
    • Careers
    • Alumni
    • Cookie Preferences
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Accessibility Statement
    • Statement of Client Rights
    • Purchase Order Terms & Conditions
    • Nixon Peabody International LLC
    • PAL
    © 2025 Nixon Peabody. All rights reserved