Author DVLottery.me 2021-08-31

The basic idea behind the Green Card Lottery is to maintain a diverse U.S. society. That's why the list of nationalities that can participate in the Lottery may change every year. The main criterion is that the more natives of a country have immigrated to the United States in recent years, the less likely that country is to be eligible for the Lottery.

Natives of countries with a low percentage of immigration may participate in the Lottery; natives of countries with a high percentage may not. The key factor is your country of birth, not your actual residence.

The official list of countries eligible for the Diversity Visa Program-2023* is as follows:

* Diversity Visa Program-2023 is the official name of the Green Card Lottery that is held in 2021.

Natives of the following countries are allowed to participate:

Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Macao SAR, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, North Korea, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, United Arab Emirates, Yemen.

Persons born in the territories governed before 1967 by Israel, Jordan, Syria, and Egypt are considered natives of Israel, Jordan, Syria, and Egypt, respectively. Persons born in the Gaza Strip are considered Egyptians. Applicants born in the West Bank are counted as natives of Jordan. Persons born in the Golan Heights are assigned to Syria.

Persons born on the islands of Habomai, Shikotan, Kunashiri, and Etorofu are assigned to Japan. Persons born in South Sakhalin are classified as Russian.

Asian countries excluded from the Diversity Visa program in 2021:

Bangladesh, China (including Hong Kong), India, Pakistan, South Korea, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

Natives of the following countries are allowed to participate:

Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark (including components and dependent areas overseas), Estonia, Finland, France (including components and dependent areas overseas), Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands (including components and dependent areas overseas), Northern Ireland, Norway (including components and dependent areas overseas), Poland, Portugal (including components and dependent areas overseas), Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vatican City.

European countries that are not eligible for the DV Lottery 2023:

The United Kingdom (except for Northern Ireland) is excluded from the program in 2021. This also includes the following dependent areas: Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, British Indian Ocean Territory, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, St. Helena, and Turks and Caicos Islands.

DV Lottery-eligible countries:

The Bahamas

Countries excluded from the program:

Canada and Mexico.

All regions in Oceania are eligible for the Green Card Program in 2021. These countries include Australia (including components and dependent areas overseas), Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Federated States of Nauru, New Zealand (including components and dependent areas overseas), Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu.

Eligible countries:

Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Ecuador, Grenada, Guyana, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, and the Grenadines Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela.

DV-Lottery non-eligible countries:

Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, and Mexico.

In that case, you have two other ways to join the Lottery: (*) Use your spouse's country of birth (provided that country is allowed to participate). Note that if you win, you will only be issued a visa if both spouses attend an interview at the embassy. (*) Use the country of birth of one of your parents.

If your spouse or parents are also not from these countries, you must wait for next year's Lottery.