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What is a
green card?
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What rights does a green card give me?
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What is the Green Card Lottery?
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Why is the Lottery held?
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How does the Lottery work?
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How do I know the status of my application?
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How many visas are available?
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Will participation affect my visa status?
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Do I qualify to enter the Lottery?
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How will I know if I win?
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What countries can participate?
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If I do not win will I be notified?
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Why does my country not qualify?
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Where can I find a list of winners?
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Can I apply if I am a citizen of an eligible
country?
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Can winners adjust their visa status?
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Are there any other requirements?
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Must I be married or have children to apply?
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How do I enter?
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I am married; can I submit two applications?
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When do I register?
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Is there a minimum age limit?
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What type of photograph must I submit?
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Can I participate if I am in the US?
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What is the processing fee?
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Can I email or fax my application?
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How can I pay the processing fee?
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Can I submit by express delivery?
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Do I need a credit card to apply?
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Why should I use
Marks & Acalin?
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How can I pay using Western Union?
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What does
Marks & Acalin do for me?
What is a green card?
A green card is a US permanent residence
visa. It allows you to live and work permanently and legally in
the United States.
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What rights does a green card give me?
A green card gives you the legal right to
live and work permanently in the United States and to enter and
leave the country freely. Green card holders also receive health,
education, and other benefits. The green card does not affect
present citizenship. A green card holder may later apply for
United States citizenship, if desired.
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What is the Green Card Lottery?
The Green Card Lottery is officially known
as the "Diversity Immigrant Visa Lottery Program" and is
administered by the US Department of State. It was created by an
act of Congress, the Immigration Act of 1990. The program
allocates a specified number of diversity visas (green cards) to
applicants from certain countries. Winners of the Lottery are
chosen in a random drawing.
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Why is the Lottery held?
The Green Card Lottery is intended to
increase the diversity of the US population. Natives of countries
with historically low immigration rates into the US are encouraged
to participate.
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How does the Lottery work?
Lottery entries are submitted to the
appropriate government filing offices during a brief window period
lasting approximately 2 months. All entries are individually
numbered. Entries that do not meet the requirements, are not
prepared correctly, or are not delivered during the 2-month window
period are discarded and not included in the Lottery. The US State
Department then selects approximately 100,000 names at random and
notifications are mailed to the winners. The first 50,000 people
who register and qualify will receive several forms to complete
and will have a brief interview at the nearest US embassy or
consulate before receiving their visas. Additional family members
listed on winners' entry forms will also receive visas. Winners
residing in the United States may be able to receive their visas
without leaving the United States.
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How many visas are available?
By law, the Diversity Immigrant Lottery
makes available a maximum of 55,000 permanent residence visas each
year to eligible persons. However, the Nicaraguan and Central
American Relief Act (NCARA) passed by Congress in November 1997
stipulates that beginning as early as DV-1999, and for as long as
necessary, 5,000 of the 55,000 annually-allocated diversity visas
will be made available for use under the NCARA program. The actual
reduction of the limit to 50,000 began with DV-2000 and remains in
effect.
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Do I qualify to enter the Lottery?
You qualify to participate in the Lottery
if you can claim nativity in an eligible country. You must also
satisfy education/training requirements. Please read the
Lottery requirements for complete
details.
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What countries can participate?
Persons from ALL COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD
ARE ELIGIBLE to participate in the Green Card Lottery, EXCEPT
persons born in the following countries:
BRAZIL, CANADA, CHINA (mainland, except
Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, and Taiwan), COLOMBIA, DOMINICAN
REPUBLIC, EL SALVADOR, GREAT BRITAIN (and its dependent
territories*, except Northern Ireland), HAITI, INDIA, JAMAICA,
MEXICO, PAKISTAN, PHILIPPINES, PERU, POLAND, RUSSIA, SOUTH KOREA
and VIETNAM.
*The following dependent areas of Great
Britain are not eligible to participate in the Lottery: Anguila,
Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands,
Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn, St. Helena, Turks and Caicos
Islands.
You may still qualify to participate in
the Lottery even if you were born in one of the ineligible
countries listed above. There are 2 exceptions:
· If your spouse was born in an eligible country,
then you can claim your spouse's country of birth.
· If one of your parents was born in an eligible
country, then you can claim your parent's country of birth.
A short statement explaining how you
satisfy this exception must be included on your application.
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Why does my country not qualify?
Diversity visas are intended to provide an
immigration opportunity for persons from countries other than the
countries that send large numbers of immigrants to the United
States. The law states that no diversity visas shall be provided
for high admission countries. Those are countries from which
during the previous 5 years there were more than 50,000 immigrants
in the Family-Sponsored and Employment-Based visa categories. Each
year, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (UCIS) adds the
family and employment immigrant admission figures for the previous
5 years to identify the countries that must be excluded from the
annual Green Card Lottery. Because there is a separate
determination made before each Lottery application period, the
list of countries that do not qualify can change from one year to
the next.
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Can I apply if I am a citizen of an eligible country?
Only your country of birth is considered
when determining if you quality to participate in the Green Card
Lottery. Citizenship cannot be used to qualify you for the
Lottery. Please read the
requirements to determine if you
can submit a Lottery application.
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Are there any other requirements?
There is no minimum age to apply, but the
education/training requirements
effectively preclude most people under the age of 18 from
participating. You can enter regardless of where you are
living--even in the United States. You do not have to speak or
write English. You do not need to have relatives living in the
United States. You do not need a particular amount of money or a
job waiting. You only need to qualify as an immigrant, which means
that you cannot be a criminal, cannot be mentally disturbed, must
be able to work or support yourself, and cannot be a threat to the
US national interest.
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How do I enter?
To participate in the Lottery, you must:
1.
Complete an application
with information about yourself and/or your family.
2.
Submit
photographs (electronic or hardcopy) for every family
member included on your application.
3.
Pay an application
processing fee, which can be paid online or sent by
mail.
You can complete the entire Lottery
application process online by completing the
online application, paying the
processing fee with a credit card, and uploading your electronic
photographs. You also have the option to mail your photographs to
us by email or regular mail. The processing fee can be paid online
at the time you prepare your application or mailed to America
Green Card afterward.
If you want to prepare an application by
hand, you can
download the application in PDF
format.
The form can be mailed to America Green
Card with your photographs and payment. Upon receipt of your
application materials, we will review and process your Lottery
entry and contact you to inform you of your application's status.
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When do I register?
Register immediately! Properly
formatted entry forms must be received by the US Government during
a 2-month application submission period. Because the window period
during which entries will be accepted is very short, we strongly
urge you to submit your application today so that your entry will
be ready for immediate submission during the appropriate
application acceptance period. America Green Card posts monthly
suggested dates by when you are encouraged to apply. This allows
us to devote the proper time and care to the preparation of your
Lottery application and helps you by maximizing the probability
that your application will be complete and ready for submission
before the official deadline.
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What type of photograph must I submit?
All applications must include recent
photographs of the applicant, spouse, and each child (including
all natural children, legally-adopted children, and stepchildren,
even if the children no longer reside with the applicant).
ALL photographs must conform to the
following specifications:
· The person being photographed must be directly
facing the camera. The head should not be tilted up, down, or to
the side. The head must cover about 50% of the area of the
photograph.
· The photo should be taken with the person being
photographed in front of a neutral, light-colored background.
Photos taken with very dark or patterned, busy backgrounds will
not be accepted.
· The person's face must be in focus.
· The person in the photograph must not wear
sunglasses or other objects that obscure the face.
· A photograph with the person wearing a head
covering or a hat is only acceptable if the covering or hat is
worn specifically due to that person's religious beliefs, and even
then, the hat or covering cannot obscure any portion of the face.
A photograph of a person wearing tribal, military, airline, or
other headgear not specifically religious in nature will not be
accepted.
· Do not send group or family photos. A separate
photo is required for every family member.
You have the option to submit hardcopy
photographs or electronic photographs.
To submit photos electronically:
After you complete an online application
or after you mail a hardcopy version of your application, you can
login to your online account. Follow the instructions provided
there to upload your photos. In addition to the requirements
described above, all electronic photos must conform to the
following specifications:
· The image must be in the 'Joint Photographic
Experts Group (JPEG) File Interchange Format (JFIF)' format.
· The image must be either in color or grayscale.
Monochrome images (2-bit color depth), 8-bit color, or 8-bit
grayscale will not be accepted.
· Digital images from either a digital camera
source or a scanned photograph via scanner will be accepted.
· If a new digital photograph is taken, it must
have a resolution of 300 pixels wide by 300 pixels high OR 240
pixels wide by 320 pixels high, and a color depth of 24-bit color.
· If a photographic print is scanned, the print
must be 2 inches by 2 inches (5 cm x 5 cm) square. It must be
scanned at a resolution of 150 dots per inch (dpi) and with a
color depth of 24-bit color.
· The maximum image size accepted will be 62,500
bytes (62.5 Kb).
To submit hardcopy photos:
After you complete an online application
or after you mail a hardcopy version of the application, you can
mail one photograph for each family member included on your
application. In addition to the requirements described above,
please follow these guidelines:
· Photographs must measure approximately 2 x 2
inches (5 x 5 cm).
· Photos can be either in color or black and
white.
· Write the full name and date of birth of the
person photographed behind the photo.
· Use clear cellophane tape to attach the photos
to the front or rear of the application. Do not use staples or
glue!
· Mail your application and photos to America
Green Card. We will scan and upload your photographs to complete
your application.
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What is the processing fee?
The processing fee pays for the review and
preparation of your registration.
The US Government does not charge an application fee. To review
the accuracy of your application and correct any errors, America
Green Card charges a nominal fee to cover administrative and
processing costs incurred in conjunction with the careful
processing of every application. The fee for an individual
application ranges from $50 USD to $200 USD, depending on the
number of years for which you wish to register. The cost ranges
from $75 USD to $300 USD for a married application.
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How can I pay the processing fee?
The following forms of payment are
accepted:
· Credit cards (MasterCard, Visa)
· Money orders
· Travelers cheques
· Personal checks (US only)
· International drafts
· US dollars (cash)
·
Western Union
We do not accept MoneyGram, Euros,
Eurocheques or bank transfers.
All payments need to be in US dollars and
payable to America Green Card.
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Do I need a credit card to apply?
No, you do not need a credit card to
submit an application. You can pay the processing fee with a
personal check (US only), money order, travelers cheques,
international draft, or cash (US dollars).
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How can I pay using Western Union?
To send payment by Western Union ('Quick
Pay' service), please visit your nearest Western Union office and
complete the BLUE PAYMENT FORM with the following information:
(A) COMPANY NAME: USA Green Card
(B) COMPANY/CITY CODE: USAGREENCARD MA
(C) ACCOUNT/REFERENCE NUMBER: [Your User Name]
Your First Name, Last Name, Address, and
Telephone Number are also important and should be included on your
payment form.
After you have made the payment, Western
Union will issue a unique transaction identification number known
as the Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN). This is your
confirmation.
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Is the processing fee refundable?
If you submit an application and we
determine that you are not eligible to participate in the Green
Card Lottery, we will refund your processing fee.
Because this is a Lottery program, America
Green Card cannot guarantee that you will be selected a winner. If
you are not selected, your processing fee is not refundable.
However, we use our experience and knowledge to give you the best
possible opportunity to win. We carefully satisfy the numerous
technical requirements associated with the format and content of
every application. The slightest mistake will disqualify your
entry. Using our services ensures that your application is
prepared correctly!
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What additional information do I send?
The only information that is necessary to
participate in the Green Card Lottery is the information that is
requested on the Lottery application form and your photographs.
Do not send copies of your birth
certificate, passport, resume, curriculum vitae, education or
training certificates, etc.
If your entry is selected in the Lottery
drawing, you will be contacted by the US Government and will be
required to complete additional paperwork. At that time, you will
be asked to provide evidence of your country of birth, education,
training, etc.
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Which children should I include?
On your Green Card Lottery application you
must include all unmarried children who are under the age of 21.
List all natural children, spouse’s children from a previous
marriage, and adopted children.
Do not include married children or
children over the age of 21.
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How many entries can I submit?
An individual is allowed only one entry
per year. You will be disqualified if you submit more than one
entry. However, a husband and wife may each submit separate
applications. This doubles your odds of winning the Lottery.
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How do I know the status of my application?
You can check your application status
online at any time.
After completing your application online,
you will be provided with a user name and password that you can
use to C16. You will be able to view your application details and
check the status of your application online.
In addition, America Green Card contacts
you when we receive your application to let you know if it is
compete or if any problems exist. We also notify you when your
Lottery entry is formally submitted to the US Government for
participation in the Green Card Lottery.
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Will participation affect my visa status?
You can enter the Green Card Lottery even
if you have petitions pending, such as a relative's or employer's
petition for work permits, visas, etc. Entering the Lottery does
not adversely affect current or past petitions and does not
jeopardize your current US visa status. The information you
provide on the Lottery application remains confidential and will
not be shared with other government offices or agencies. Your
participation in the Lottery will not negatively affect any future
visa petitions. Participating in the Lottery involves zero risk.
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How will I know if I win?
Applicants whose applications are randomly
selected from among all qualified entries will be notified by
email by America Green Card. This notification normally occurs
within 6 months of the close of the Lottery program. Together with
this notification, further instructions will be provided on how to
proceed, including information on fees connected with the
immigration process.
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If I do not win will I be notified?
Yes. All applicants will be notified.
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Where can I find a list of winners?
The US Government does not publish a list
of individual Lottery winners. No government office, agency, or
web site will have such a list available. The only way to learn if
you have won the Lottery is by receiving a notice letter by email.
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Can winners adjust their visa status?
Yes, provided they are otherwise eligible
to adjust status under the terms of Section 245 of the INA,
selected applicants who are physically present in the United
States may apply to the Immigration and Naturalization Service
(INS) for adjustment of status to permanent resident.
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Must I be married or have children to apply?
You do not need to be married or have
children to submit an application to the Green Card Lottery.
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I am married; can I submit two applications?
Yes. If you and your spouse are both
qualified to participate in the program, you can each complete a
separate registration. This doubles your odds of winning.
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Is there a minimum age limit?
There is no minimum age to apply. However,
you must satisfy the
general and education/training requirements.
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Can I participate if I am in the US?
Yes. An applicant may be in the United
States or in another country, and the entry may be mailed from the
US or from abroad.
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Can I email or fax my application?
Yes! You can email us by using our
on line application
or fax (+617.801.8188) your application to us. Photos can be
emailed or sent by regular mail. We cannot accept faxed photos.
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Can I submit by express delivery?
Yes. If you wish to send your application
by courier or express/overnight delivery please use the following
street address:
Law Offices of Marks and Acalin
4221 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 330
Los Angeles, CA 90010
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Why should I use Marks & Acalin?
The application process is complex.
· Lottery requirements are subject to change.
· Application procedures can be confusing and
difficult to understand.
· Applications must conform to rigorous format,
content, and mailing standards.
· The US government accepts applications only
during short periods.
· Applications sent from foreign countries can be
delayed or lost.
Every year, millions of applications are
disqualified because applicants do not satisfy eligibility
requirements, applications contain errors or omissions, or
applications arrive too early or too late.
Marks & Acalin will
professionally prepare your application so that it meets all
current requirements, is properly formatted, contains all required
information, and is submitted during the appropriate entry period.
With
Marks & Acalin, your
application will qualify for the Lottery. Allowing us to help you
with your application is one of the wisest investments you can
make in your future!
Do not risk your valuable opportunity to
win the Lottery. Apply today!
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What does Marks & Acalin do for me?
Marks & Acalin makes
registration easy!
Marks & Acalin offers peace
of mind through professional Lottery application assistance. We
will:
· Verify your eligibility for participation.
· Review your application for completeness and
accuracy.
· Notify you of any errors that must be corrected.
· Advise you on how best to resolve any problems.
· Process your application for submission to the
Lottery.
· Update you on any and all Lottery news and
developments.
· Give you access to your application file online
so that you can check the status of your application, view your
information, or edit your application 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week.
· Submit your application to the US Government
according to strict guidelines.
· Certify that your application was submitted to
the Lottery.
· Provide you with Lottery information and updates
even after the Lottery drawing.
No other Lottery service offers this level
of service or as many benefits as America Green Card. Only we can
provide you with the professionalism and trust you expect.
Register for the Green Card Lottery today!
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