Author DVLottery.me 2021-08-27

Winning the DV Lottery is a happy event. People expect many things from it. But in some cases it can bring not only a green card, but also a lot of debt and property loss. How can this happen and how to avoid it or make your risks lower?

The best option is to have some savings which you spend on the process. The minimum funds are $530 for a person. This includes a $330 fee for the US consulate interview and about $200 for medical examination. But there are some extra spendings.

What are the basic spendings? When you are selected for a green card, you need to prepare many documents which can be expensive and time consuming or even go abroad to a US consulate.

Here they are: (*) Travel expenses if the US embassy is located in the capital of your country (and you live in another city or town) (*) Or you even need to go abroad if there is no US embassy in your country (like in Yemen or Syria) (*) A long list of required documents or other proofs (for which you may need money and time) (*) Medical examination. You need about $200 for it. (*) Interview at the embassy. The fee is $330 per person (*) Tickets to fly to the US (*) All your expenses in the USA (housing rental, food, car expenses, medical expenses) before you find a job that pays your bills

Good news. Proving financial support is optional. But you will need money to pay all your expenses related to moving to the USA as there are no subsidies from the US government.

Let’s talk about future spendings!

How many documents do you need?

One you will need to take part in the DV Lottery. Now you need an unexpired passport to fill in the form. This limits the number of people who can take part in DV Lottery as the passport fee can be $70-$250.

Your interview will require many documents, which means not only time consuming paperwork, and also lots of fees.

Supporting documents after submitting DS-260 form. (*) Birth Certificates for each applicant (*) Court and Prison records if you are convicted (*) Military records if you served in the army (*) Police Certificate for each applicant (*) Photocopy of a passport bio page for each applicant

Documents needed for the interview: (*) Two US visa photos for each applicant (get it at https://visafoto.com/visa-photo) (*) Appointment information (*) DS-260 confirmation page (*) Passport (*) Your education diplomas (*) Documents which prove your work experience (*) Marriage Certificate (*) Marriage Termination Certificate (*) Deportation documentation if you were deported from the USA (*) Custody documentation if you have adopted children

Remember to check the website of the US embassy of your country to get the newest and actual information on the full list of documents.

You need to undergo a medical examination (more at https://dvlottery.me/blog/1800-medical_for_green_card). It will cost at least $200 for each family member. You must go to a specialized hospital which is accredited by the US embassy.

Where can your interview take place? Maybe you will need to go to the capital of your country which can be challenging if you live far away from it. But it is not the worst of options. The more challenging way is when you need to travel abroad for a US embassy. This happens if the embassy or consulate in your country is suspended, closed or not working for any other reasons. So you will need money for tickets, hotels and other expenses in another city.

See more about the interview at https://dvlottery.me/blog/1400-prepare_for_dv_lottery_interview.

Remember that you need to pay for your airplane or ship tickets. The US government will not subsidize them either.

Also you need to pay your rent in the US and for all other necessary stuff.

Remember that most DV Lottery winners have debts when they land to the United States. Real life in America is not that easy, and it can disappoint you from the beginning. But now you will not be able to go back to your home country.

Although it can be expensive to go to the USA, usually it is worth it. Salaries in the USA are high, this means that you can send the money back to your home country to cover your debts. You can make some savings and cover your debts.

Although you can find stories about DV Lottery winners who are in debt now due to spending on the interview, many applicants moved to the USA and now they have no debts for the DV Lottery.