A U.S. Green Card and the paths to it: the DV lottery and more

In the U.S., a Green Card — a permanent residence card (officially the Permanent Resident Card) — gives its holder the right to live and work in the country permanently. There are several lawful routes to one. The following is based on official sources — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the Department of State, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). This is a general guide, not legal advice.

Through family

Immediate relatives of a U.S. citizen — the spouse, an unmarried child under 21, and the parent of a citizen aged 21 or older — can obtain a Green Card with no annual numerical limit. Other family categories (F1–F4) are capped: for example, F2A covers spouses and young children of a permanent resident, and F4 covers the brothers and sisters of a U.S. citizen. According to USCIS, the family-preference categories are limited to 226,000 per year; immediate relatives are exempt from this cap.

Through employment

Employment-based Green Cards are capped at 140,000 per year and fall into five categories: EB-1 — persons of extraordinary ability (science, art, business, sport), outstanding professors and researchers; EB-2 — professionals with advanced degrees; EB-3 — skilled workers and holders of a bachelor's degree; EB-4 — special immigrants (for example, certain religious workers); EB-5 — investors. The minimum EB-5 investment is $1,050,000 ($800,000 in designated targeted areas).

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The Diversity Visa (DV) lottery

The Diversity Visa (DV) lottery was created by the Immigration Act of 1990. Each year 55,000 visas are allotted; because 5,000 were redirected under the NACARA law, about 50,000 visas remain in practice. No single country may receive more than 7% of the DV visas in a year (that is, 3,850). Winners are drawn at random by computer, favoring countries with low recent immigration to the U.S.

To take part, the applicant's country of birth must be on the list of eligible (qualifying) countries, and the applicant must have at least a high school education or two years of work experience within the past five years in an occupation requiring at least two years of training. Entering the lottery is COMPLETELY FREE and is done only through the official site — dvprogram.state.gov.

Uzbekistan — a world leader in the DV lottery

In recent years Uzbekistan has ranked first in the world for the number of DV lottery selectees. According to reports citing State Department data, about 5,564 people from Uzbekistan were selected for DV-2025 — ahead of Algeria (5,526) and Russia (5,519), the highest of any country (results announced 3 May 2025). Uzbekistan was also first for DV-2024, with about 5,555.

An important distinction: "selectees" are those drawn as lottery winners, but not all of them complete the process and receive a visa. The number of visas actually issued is much smaller: for DV-2024, for example, about 2,830 visas were issued to Uzbekistan. In other words, being selected is not a guarantee of a visa — it is the chance to begin the process.

Asylum and refugee status

A person admitted to the U.S. as a refugee may apply for a Green Card after one year. A person granted asylum may likewise generally apply for a Green Card one year later. There are also other special categories, such as VAWA (for victims of abuse).

From Green Card to citizenship

A Green Card holder may, under certain conditions, become a U.S. citizen (naturalization). The general rule: be a permanent resident for at least 5 years, reside continuously in the U.S. during that time and be physically present for at least 30 months, pass the English and civics (government/history) test, show good moral character, and take the Oath of Allegiance. For someone married to and living with a U.S. citizen, the period is 3 years rather than 5 (with at least 18 months of physical presence).

Beware of fraud

The Department of State and the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) officially warn: the government does NOT notify DV winners by email or letter — results can only be checked through the Entrant Status Check at dvprogram.state.gov. The government does not ask for money in advance (by check, money order or wire) and never promises a "guaranteed visa." Trust only official .gov sites (travel.state.gov, uscis.gov, dvprogram.state.gov).

A note

This article is general information only; immigration rules and figures can change over time. Check exact terms with official sources or a licensed immigration attorney. Official sources: USCIS, the U.S. Department of State (travel.state.gov) and the FTC.