Author DVLottery.me 2022-06-20

Have you not found yourself on the list of DV-Lottery winners? If you are still planning to move to the USA through the Diversity Visa program, the obvious advice would be: "Wait until the next lottery and try your luck again". However, we want to give you some less common advice. Don't rush to get rid of your Confirmation Number! Sometimes (though not every year), the Department of State conducts an additional green card drawing. It includes applications that have not passed the primary selection process. Read below how and why they do it!

The Green Card Lottery entitles approximately 55,000 winners each year to permanent residency in the United States. You must apply for the lottery within a set period, usually from October through November. The Department determines the exact dates each year. After the deadline, applications are no longer accepted. Winners are randomly selected from among the participants whose entries meet the requirements. Usually, the list of winners is announced in May.

When you fill out the DV Lottery entry form, you will receive a Confirmation Number. You will need this number to find out the results in the future. More information about this is in this article: https://dvlottery.me/blog/3600-dv-lottery-2023-results

Each year, the U.S. government allocates a quota of 55,000 winning numbers. But, according to average statistics, up to 30% of winners do not use their prize. They don’t fill out the form DS-260 (more about the form here: https://dvlottery.me/blog/1700-ds-260_application_form) and don’t make an appointment for an embassy interview. This happens for a variety of reasons. Someone does not have time to get a passport. Some do not have enough money to move to the United States. Some just change their plans.

In years when the plan for issuing diversity visas is significantly under-fulfilled, a second draw can be held. And it becomes a new chance to win!

If this happens, you will receive an email recommending you recheck the lottery results. Make sure that the letter came from the official address: donotreply@dvlottery.state.gov. If the letter came from another domain, it is probably a fraud. To double-check your winnings, use the official website https://dvprogram.state.gov/ only!

To avoid missing such a "lucky letter", be sure to provide a mailing address that you use regularly when you fill out the DV Lottery entry form. Also, add the .gov email domain to your list of trusted addresses so the email doesn't accidentally end up in spam.

Keep in mind that the chances of winning in an additional DV lottery are lower than the chances of winning the main one. But the experience of numerous migrants suggests that such a possibility still exists.

The decision to conduct an additional selection depends on the circumstances. In any case, additional winning places are opened not earlier than six months after the main lottery.

Therefore, it is not necessary to constantly double-check the results. The best solution is to keep your Confirmation Number, check your email regularly, and don't miss the next Green Card Lottery. Also, if you are determined to move to the United States, you should rely not only on luck but also on other ways to emigrate. May everything work out for you!