What Happens If You Win the Green Card Lottery?

The principal applicant and every family member who, after being selected in the DV program and winning, must complete Form DS-260. You must enter your DV case number in the online DS-260 form to receive information and update your information and that of your family. This includes family members who were listed in your DV entry when the application was completed.

If your family status changed after you entered the Diversity Visa program — for example, you got married and/or had a child — you must add your new family members to your case. ("Family member" refers to a spouse and/or unmarried children who had not yet turned 21 before participating in the DV program.) When adding family members to your case, you must upload a document confirming the family relationship between you and the new family member.

Important note: if you had a spouse or children before submitting your original application, but did not list them when completing your original form, such errors may result in you, as well as any of your family members, being unable to obtain a Green Card. If you listed a spouse or child in your original application who was not actually your spouse or child at the time of entry, such errors may also result in you, as well as any of your family members, being unable to obtain a Green Card. As noted above, if your family status officially changed after submitting your original application, add the family members, and the declarations of all family members will be reviewed. For additional information, see the DV Instructions.

To complete and confirm the DS-260, you must enter your DV number without leading zeros (for example, if the case number is 2020AF0000012345, enter "2020AF12345"). Entering the full case number with zeros may generate a validation error.

After completing and submitting the DS-260 form online, print the confirmation page. You must bring the confirmation page with you to your interview.

Note that the KCC (Kentucky Consular Center) can only tell you whether your form has been processed. The KCC cannot tell you whether you or your family members have a chance of receiving a Green Card, etc. Only the consular officer who interviews you and conducts your interview can make that decision.

Contacting KCC: if you'd like to contact the KCC, always include your name, date of birth, and case number exactly as shown in the Entrant Status Check (ESC). Your case number should be clearly written in the top-right corner of your email or in the subject line. The KCC only accepts inquiries by phone or email. Do not send paper documents or correspondence to the Kentucky Consular Center. Any paper documents or correspondence received will be destroyed. The KCC phone number is 606-526-7500 (7:30 AM to 4:00 PM EST).

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To enter the application, you need to enter your case number, which is listed at the bottom of your Green Card win notification.

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To log into the application, you will always need the following information:
Case Number
Enter the Principal Applicant's Surname
Enter the Principal Applicant's Date of Birth
Pay attention to the entry format (Format: DD-MMM-YYYY)
Electronic Diversity Visa Confirmation Number
I am the — information on who is completing the application, i.e. who I am
Applicant, Attorney, or Third Party Agent
Enter the characters as shown — enter the security code shown on the page when you open the application

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Before processing of the Green Card visa application begins, the applicant must complete Form DS-260, the Online Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration Application. To access the online form, click the link to the right of the applicant's name, under the heading "IV Application."

If your family members are not listed in the individuals list, click "Add Applicant" to add them. Derivative applicants in the DV program include spouses or children under 21 who meet US immigration law requirements. Completing the application does not guarantee that your family member will receive a visa as a derivative applicant. Only a consular officer can decide this, during your visa interview.

If you have any questions, please contact the Kentucky Consular Center (KCC) by email or by phone (public inquiry line: 606-526-7500, 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM EDT, Monday-Friday).

Once the KCC has received and processed the DS-260 application form for you and your accompanying family members, you will receive instructions on how, where, and on what date you need to attend your consulate interview and submit the required supporting documents.

The applicant and each family member who will be traveling to the US and whose information was listed on the application must present, both as the principal applicant and as family members, the original documents listed below, translated and notarized, along with copies. You will be required to bring the original documents to your visa interview at the US embassy or consulate, along with the necessary translations.

Review the information below to determine which documents you need to obtain. Bring the original documents with you to your interview at the US embassy or consulate. Do not send these documents by courier (DHL, FedEx, or other mail) to the Kentucky Consular Center or by email.

List of documents to gather:

• Passport
• All old passports
• Border crossing confirmation certificate
• Birth certificate
• Status confirmation certificate
• Police clearance certificate
• Military ID
• School certificate
• Diploma
• Two photos on CD and printed — size 5x5
• Medical examination documents: CITO | $250, Tbilisi – MCG Cito #40, Paliashvili St., Vake District, Tbilisi
  Tel. (995 32) 2-25-19-48 / 51
  Fax: (995 32) 2-25-19-52
• Consulate fee | $330
• Savings statement | USD

After completing the Diversity Visa Process instructions on usvisas.state.gov and submitting the required immigrant visa application form (DS-260), you may receive a notification from the Kentucky Consular Center (KCC) about your scheduled interview. You'll receive an email instructing you to log into the Entrant Status Check on the Electronic Diversity Visa (E-DV) website, using your DV (Green Card lottery) confirmation number, to see your interview date, time, and location.

At the end of your immigrant visa interview, the consular officer will inform you whether your visa application has been approved or denied.

Some visa applications require further administrative processing, and require additional time after the consular officer interview for the visa application. We inform the applicant of this requirement when the application is submitted. In most cases, administrative processing is completed within 60 days of the interview. Where administrative processing is required, the length of time varies based on the specific circumstances of each case. You can check the status of your visa application at ceac.state.gov.

If your visa is denied, you can find useful information under Ineligibilities and Waivers on usvisas.state.gov.

If your visa is approved, you will be informed of how and when your passport and visa will be given to you. Carefully review After the Interview on usvisas.state.gov for what to do once you receive your visa.

Finally, winning the Green Card lottery opens the door to a new opportunity. To make the most of this opportunity, follow the steps outlined in this blog post. Stay organized, gather all the required documents, and seek expert advice when needed. Remember, diligence and attentiveness throughout the entire process will increase your chances of the desired outcome. We wish you success in obtaining your Green Card and achieving the American dream!