Nigerians have been barred from participating in the United
States Diversity visa (DV) lottery in 2022 because over 50,000
Nigerians have immigrated to the US in the last five years. A
statement published by the US State Department on its website
yesterday, stated categorically that Nigerians are not eligible for
the 2022 visa lottery which entitles winners to lawful permanent
residency status in the United States of America, popularly known
as green card. The statement did not explain how the US government
calculated the number of Nigerians alleged to have immigrated to
the US in the last five years; neither did it say whether family
re-union by family members of Nigerian-born US citizens were
factored in the calculation.
The 19-page document titled: “Instructions for the 2022
Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV-2022)” stated that: “In
Africa, natives of Nigeria are not eligible for this year’s
Diversity Visa Program.” However, natives from other African
countries are eligible to apply, but “persons born in the areas
administered prior to June 1967 by Israel, Jordan, Syria, and Egypt
are chargeable, respectively, to Israel, Jordan, Syria, and Egypt.
Persons born in the Gaza Strip are chargeable to Egypt; persons
born in the West Bank are chargeable to Jordan; persons born in the
Golan Heights are chargeable to Syria.”
“Applicants who are selected in the program (selectees) must
meet simple but strict eligibility requirements to qualify for a
diversity visa. The Department of State determines selectees
through a randomized computer drawing. The Department of State
distributes diversity visas among six geographic regions, and no
single country may receive more than seven percent of the available
DVs in any one year.
“For DV-2022, persons born in the following countries are not
eligible to apply, because more than 50,000 natives of these
countries immigrated to the United States in the previous five
years: Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (including Hong Kong SAR),
Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti,
Honduras, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines,
South Korea, United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its
dependent territories, and Vietnam. “Persons born in Macau SAR and
Taiwan are eligible,” the document read in part.
Here are the essential things to know about the upcoming DV-2022
green card lottery
Q. When does registration for the lottery
begin?
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Online registration for the DV-2022 green card lottery begins at
noon on Oct. 7 (Eastern Standard Time) and ends at noon on Nov.
10.
Q. Which countries’ natives are eligible to enter this
year?
Natives of all countries qualify except Bangladesh, Brazil,
Canada, China (including Hong Kong SAR), Colombia, Dominican
Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica,
Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, United Kingdom
(except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, and
Vietnam. Persons born in Macau SAR and Taiwan are eligible. In
changes from last year’s lottery, natives of Peru may enter, but
natives of Guatemala and Honduras may not. You may enter if you are
married to a native of an included country even if your country is
on the excluded list.
Q. How come, year after year, my home country is left
off the lottery eligibility list?
A. A country’s nationals are not eligible for the lottery if
50,000 individuals or more have immigrated from that country over
the prior five years.
Q. If I win the lottery, can my family immigrate with
me?
A. Your spouse and unmarried children under age 21 can get green
cards when you win the lottery no matter where they were born.
Q. Are there other requirements?
A. Yes. You must have at least a U.S. high school degree or its
equivalent. Additionally, you must have worked (within the last
five years) at a job for at least two years in which two years
training or experience was required.
Q. If I am in the United States without lawful status
and I win the lottery, can I get a green card?
A. Usually, no. If you win the lottery, you need to travel home
to get your immigrant visa. If you have been in the U.S. more than
180 days, you may face the “unlawful presence” bar and not be
allowed to return for three years. A lottery win is good for one
year only. The law provides for a limited waiver of the three-year
bar, but you would unlikely be able to get the waiver before your
right to a green card expired.