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Thread: Green Card

  1. #1
    Florida Savvy LFCGeorge's Avatar
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    Green Card

    Does anyone on this forum actively participate in the lottery or have been successful?

    I participated in the 2010 lottery although was unsuccessful and not sure what happened to the 2011 or 2012 one but never applied.

    Not sure when the next lottery 2014 starts but the website I use doesn't state anything about it
    https://www.dvlottery.state.gov/

    If anyone has any more websites which are safe and lets me apply then feel free to let me know

    Thanks!


  2. #2
    Florida Chatterbox
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    Cannot participate in the lottery if you are English. I guess you have been able to apply with being Northern Irish.

    Not sure if the US has not stopped the Green Card lottery.


  3. #3
    Florida Savvy LFCGeorge's Avatar
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    Yes I can apply being from Northern Ireland, I hope it hasn't stopped though


  4. #4
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    From memory the lottery is open from around October, and is still available. Each year I hear rumours that they plan to stop it at some point.

    We are from England but won it based on the fact my wife, Carolyn, was born in Germany (her father was in the forces). She only lived there for a few months. Our friends also won it recently as her parents were born in Cyprus although they lived in the UK all their lives.

    Bear in mind you can enter twice. For example, Carolyn entered as she was born in Germany. I entered because I am married to someone born in Germany, so it doubles your chances.


  5. #5
    Florida Savvy LFCGeorge's Avatar
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    Thanks Roger, hopefully it does open in October so I can try for it again

    Did you apply just the once and win?

    Also for the photo did you use professional services to edit the photo so it meets all the requirements or just do it yourself?

    Well done on winning it


  6. #6
    Florida Expert MICKEYSDEN's Avatar
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    Thank you Roger I didn't know we could enter twice, we have been trying for the last 4 years as Mick was born in Ireland, I will make sure I try as well this year for being married to him for the last 26 years.
    Karen


  7. #7
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    We know someone who applied last time round (not English) and is due to leave their job at the end of next month and is heading over to North Carolina but as English we are unable to enter although a large number of Stuart's family did emigrate to the States in the early 1900s.


  8. #8
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    We applied in around 2003, then not again until 2006 and that's when Carolyn won. We entered the lottery in October 2006 and got notification of winning in April 2007. Once you are notified of winning, you then have to go through a long winded application procedure, which is quite expensive (around $2000 each by the time you factor in the application, biometrics, medical exams etc). We finally got our Green Cards early 2008.

    For the photo on the application, I just did it myself with a digital camera. Once we won, there were many other steps to follow but one thing they need is proper photos, so I got some done professionally to be on the safe side.

    If you win, allow up to around a year from then to get the Green Card. They notify around 100,000 winners but only go on to issue something like 55,000 green cards. You are given a number on the winning notification. We were number 23 (out of around 100,000). Over a year they allow block of numbers to submit their application, and if you have a higher number you can find that by the end of the year they have not got up to your number so you cannot proceed. I'm sure they do that just to inflict stress on the 'winners'!


  9. #9
    Florida Savvy LFCGeorge's Avatar
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    Does indeed seem like a long and winding road but well worth it. Do you know what website you used at the time?


  10. #10
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    Use only the official site, as it's free to enter

    https://www.dvlottery.state.gov/

    Avoid other sites that look similar, as they will probably charge you to collect your info then re-enter it themselves on your behlaf (if they even bother to do that!). Also, if you use other sites, you probably wont get an application reference so they you cannot trace your status online.

    Quote Originally Posted by LFCGeorge View Post
    Does indeed seem like a long and winding road but well worth it. Do you know what website you used at the time?


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