The number of citizens willing to live and work in the United States is growing every year. Citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan are also striving to leave for a country with a high standard of living, comfortable conditions for self-realization, and a friendly atmosphere. A real opportunity to obtain a residence permit in the United States is given by winning the program of the drawing of immigrant visas. The winner is given a green card: Kazakhstan is on the list of states that are admitted to the drawing, so its citizens can participate in the lottery. Information about the rules and conditions of the program will help increase the chances of success.
Immigrant visa program
The Green Card Lottery (DV-Lottery) is a visa drawing program that entitles the winning participant and his family members to obtain permanent resident status in the United States. The official name of the program is Diversity Immigrant Visa. The Diversification Lottery is held annually under the direction of the United States Department of State. Individuals of different nationalities from different countries can participate in the program.
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) sets regional visa limits annually. 50 thousand visas are distributed between the regions: North America, South and Central America, Africa, Asia, Europe (including the countries of the former USSR), Oceania.
There is a limitation: one state cannot receive more than 7% of DV visas that are issued during the year.
It also does not provide for the issuance of visas to citizens of states with a high level of immigration (more than 50 thousand people over the past 5 years).
You can check if Kazakhstan participates in the Green Card lottery on the website of the US Bureau of Consular Affairs. It should be noted that in 2021, citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan were admitted to participate in the DV-2020 program.
Residents of Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, PRC (mainland), Republic of Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Republic of Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Peru, South Korea, Great Britain (except Northern Ireland) did not participate in the lottery ), Vietnam.
The status of a permanent resident of the United States is confirmed by the Green Card (translated as "Green Card"). The document is issued upon entry into the United States.
Green card holders have almost the same rights as US citizens, except for the electoral one, namely:
- freely enter and leave the United States;
- live in the United States and work for any company in the country;
- apply for US citizenship after 5 years of continuous residence;
- get an education in a program funded by the government;
- teach children in a public school;
- receive social insurance benefits for retirees;
- to enter countries with which the United States has a corresponding agreement without issuing visas.
Who can participate and when are applications accepted?
Many Kazakhstanis are wondering how to get a US green card in Kazakhstan. It is important to know that citizens who are selected for the program must meet certain requirements.
Persons who:
- were born in a country admitted to the competition;
- individuals who are from countries not eligible to participate can apply in the following cases:
- The spouse was born in a participating country (you must apply together and enter the United States);
- both parents were not citizens or permanent residents of that country at the time of the applicant's birth;
- have at least secondary education (have successfully completed primary and secondary school) or have worked for two years (in the last five years) in a profession that requires two years of vocational training.
Acceptance of application forms for participation begins, as a rule, in the first days of October and lasts about a month. It is recommended to send applications as early as possible: in the last days of the specified period, there is a risk of encountering incorrect operation of the site.
Participation in the program is free. You will have to pay only if you win - for the registration of an immigrant visa.
Under the terms of the program, each applicant has the right to submit only one application form. Submitting multiple applications will result in the cancellation of all applications. Simultaneously with the applicant, a spouse can submit a questionnaire.
Registration procedure
Persons who are studying the issue of how to apply for a Green Card in Kazakhstan need to know that this procedure is the same for citizens of all countries admitted to participate.
To take part in the lottery, you must fill out an electronic registration form on the website of the US Department of State, which is only available online for a specified period.
When filling out the questionnaire, the following data are indicated:
- personal information: last name, first name, patronymic (as in a foreign passport), gender, date of birth;
- country, city of birth, country eligible for participation;
- residence address;
- up-to-date email address;
- the level of education;
- marital status at the time of filling out the application;
- information about the husband (wife), children (if they are US citizens or have permanent resident status, information is not submitted).
The application is filled in English. If the questionnaire is completed correctly, a registration confirmation with a name and a unique number will appear on the screen. This information should be saved and printed.
The data will be needed to check the status of your application. It is necessary to attach photographs of the applicant, his wife (spouse), children, taken within the last 6 months, to the application form.
Snapshot requirements
Before uploading a photo, you need to carefully study the instructions on what compositional and technical requirements the image should meet.
A photo that meets these standards will do:
- height and width - 50x50 mm;
- resolution - no less than 600x600 px and no more than 1200 px;
- JPEG file format (.jpg);
- photo size - no more than 240 kb;
- head size - 50-69% of the total size;
- background - white or light;
- facial expression - neutral;
- there should be no shadows on the face, background.
Checking the status of the application
The winners are determined by a computer program by random selection. Together with the winner, the applicant's spouse and their children under the age of 21 receive the right to permanent residence. You can find out the results of the drawing from May to September 30.
The status of the application form is checked on the website of the US Department of State in the "Entrant Status Check" section. To do this, you must enter an individual confirmation number saved during registration and personal information (name, surname). There are no other ways to find out the result.
The US government does not send any messages by email or mail, nor does it provide a list of selected participants for the visa application.
If the application is selected
It is logical to ask the question of how to move to America from Kazakhstan, if confirmation of the win has been received.
It is worth noting that the participants in the drawing, whose applications are selected, win the opportunity to pass an interview with the consul, and not actually receive an immigrant visa. Only the consular officer decides whether to provide a green card or not.
Before obtaining an immigrant visa, you need to go through several stages. You will have to take the following actions:
- On the website of the Consular Center for Electronic Applications, fill out an immigration visa application (form DS-260). Completed in English for each family member separately. It is imperative to indicate if the composition of the family has changed. The confirmation page must be printed and taken for an interview, the date of which will be sent by email (about a month and a half before the appointed day).
- Collect and translate documents into English.You will need a passport, birth certificate, education documents, work book, certificate of no criminal record, marriage (divorce) certificate, military ID, bank statement, certificate from the place of work.
- Undergo a medical examination in special certified centers. The procedure is paid, the cost varies depending on the country, on average $ 200-250 per family member. If, during the inspection, diseases are found that prevent entry into the United States (for example, mental illness, acute tuberculosis, leprosy), the applicant will not receive a green card. After checking at the medical center, you will be given a sealed envelope, which must be handed over to the consul.
- Have an interview with a consul at the US Embassy in Astana or at the US Consulate General in Almaty. At the diplomatic mission, you must pay a visa fee, the amount of which is $ 330 for each family member. During the interview, you need to answer standard everyday questions that will help the consular officer make sure that exactly those persons who came for the interview participated in the drawing.
If the interview is successfully completed, an immigrant visa is opened for a period of 6 months. During this period, you must enter the United States. It is important to know that family members without the main applicant are not allowed to enter the country.
Probability of winning
Many are interested in how many people have won the green card in Kazakhstan. Such data can be viewed on the website of the US Department of State.
According to the statistics for 2021 published by the department (data for 2021 are not yet available), 93,406 applications were submitted from Kazakhstan to participate in the DV-2018 program, of which 1,020 were approved, which is approximately 1.09% of the total number of participants.
For comparison, you can take data for some CIS countries:
- Russia - 434 353/4 500 (1.04%);
- Uzbekistan - 2 114 446/4 494 (0.21%);
- Armenia - 267 067/2 844 (1.06%);
- Belarus - 171 134/1 466 (0.86%);
- Tajikistan - 122 178/1 209 (0.99%).
After analyzing the information, we can conclude that in a country where there are too many applicants, it is less likely to get a green card. As you can see, the residents of Uzbekistan have the least chances.
The upward trend in the number of those wishing to leave for the United States is observed all over the world. The Republic of Kazakhstan is no exception, you can see information for previous years:
- in 2021: total applications - 60,634, approved 518 (0.85%);
- in 2021: total applications - 48,136, approved 376 (0.78%).
Looking at the statistics, you can understand what the chance is to win a green card in Kazakhstan. If the number of applicants increases, accordingly, the chances of success will decrease.
Are there any other options to immigrate to the USA
Foreign nationals wishing to immigrate to the United States and obtain a Green Card must apply for an appropriate visa. In accordance with US law, in addition to winning the green card lottery, there are the following immigration options:
- family (reunification with family members who have US citizenship or permanent resident status);
- employment;
- marriage with an American citizen;
- obtaining political asylum.
The process of obtaining an immigrant visa begins with the filing of a petition on behalf of a foreign citizen with the US Citizenship and Immigration Services. The petition is submitted by a citizen or permanent resident of the United States - a relative of a foreigner, an employer.
What else do lottery participants need to know
Citizens who participate in the green card lottery have many questions. In order to understand the application process and not trust fraudsters, future participants must know the answers to them.
What is a green card?
This is an identification card, the official name is United States Permanent Resident Card. Confirms that you have a residence permit and the right to legally work in the United States.
What are the responsibilities of a green card holder?
The Green Card holder must:
- fill out a tax return and pay taxes in the United States:
- men of military age (18 - 26 years old) must register for military service;
- stay in the United States for more than 6 months a year;
- provide information about the change of residence to the Citizenship and Immigration Service.
Is it obligatory to renounce the citizenship of Kazakhstan?
No, green card holders remain citizens of their country until the moment they wish to change their citizenship to American.
Can I participate in the program multiple times?
Yes, you can participate in the Immigrant Visa Program annually.
Can I use the services of intermediaries to assist with registration in the lottery?
Some organizations offer to help fill out an application for a fee. You should be careful when providing personal information. In addition, according to the reviews of the participants, many applicants do not receive a green card precisely because they turn to intermediaries.
There are sites offering on their pages to issue a questionnaire for a fee. These are scammers, since the application is submitted free of charge, and the opportunity to register for participation in the lottery is provided only by the official website of the US Department of State.
For what reasons are they deprived of a green card?
Green Card can be canceled for:
- long absence from the United States (more than 12 months);
- non-compliance with American laws.
Main conclusions
The diversification lottery is the easiest way for a citizen of Kazakhstan to become a legal resident of the United States. Persons who have completed secondary education or who have been working for two years can participate in it. To participate in the program, you must submit an application on the website of the US Department of State. This is done for free once a year, in the fall.
It is important to know that winning is not a guarantee of obtaining a residence permit in the United States. Preparation of documents, medical examination, an interview with the consul are the mandatory steps that you need to go through to make the American dream come true.
