Most foreigners immigrate from China, Mexico, Latin America or India. The DV lottery targets other countries in an attempt to diversity the immigrant population in the U.S. This year, the green card lottery closed on November 7, 2016.

1. So, you Missed the Green Card
Lottery Deadline. What Now?

2. Intro
Annually, the United States grants approximately 55,000 Diversity Visas
(DV lottery), allowing immigrants to work permanently in the country
under a green card. Commonly called the green card lottery, these
randomly selected applicants are from “underrepresented countries” that
meet two entry requirements.

3. Changing Your Status
You may change your immigration status while living in the U.S. from a temporary
to permanent through the process of qualifying under a handful of specific
categories designed to grant your green card. The Immigration and Nationality
Act (INA) allows an “adjustment of status” for these individuals.
If you missed the green card lottery deadline and are a foreign student studying in
the United States, or if you have obtained an H1B work visa after college, you
may want to change your status. The benefits of changing from an H1B visa are
simple – the document only lasts six years, while a green card is permanent.
Many students seek a work visa as a way to stay in the country longer then
attempt to switch to a green card.

4. Family Based Green Card
You may quality for a green card through family
connections in the United States. If you’re a
relative of a U.S. citizen or even a family
member of a green card holder, you may quality.
There are also specially defined categories:
● If you are an immediate relative of a U.S.
citizen, you may apply for a green card.
This includes spouses, unmarried children
under 21 years old and the parents of U.S.
citizens.
● A family member of a green card holder,
including spouses and unmarried children.
● A special category qualifier, including:
battered spouse or child; a K
nonimmigrant; a person born to a foreign
diplomat in the U.S.; a V nonimmigrant; or
a widower of a U.S. citizen.

5. Employment Based
Green Card
The green card lottery simply won’t matter if you’ve received an
offer of permanent employment in the United States. Your
employer will have to obtain a Permanent Labor Certification,
which will allow them to hire a foreign worker for permanent labor
in the U.S.
You may have the option of switching from an employment visa to
a green card if you ask your employer to sponsor your EB2 or EB3
work-related green card status. You may change your status by
seeking asylum if your country of origin is at civil war.
You may qualify as a self-petitioner under an EB-1 green card if
you have exceptional skills in science, the arts, education,
business or athletics.
Entrepreneurs and their families may qualify if you have invested
in a U.S. based business that plans to create ten permanent
full-time jobs for American workers. The entrepreneur visa, also
known as the Fifth Preference Green Card or EB-5, covers up to
10,000 visas annually, but you must typically invest $500,000 to
$1 million in a specifically qualifying business. There are other
stipulations; including the investor must be an active manager of
the business.

6. Special Classes of
Immigrants
● Afghan or Iraqi translator that resides in or out of the U.S. and has
been in the service of the government.
● Broadcaster working for the International Broadcasting Bureau of the
Broadcasting Board of Governors. Writers, reporters, translators,
editors, announcers, producers, or technicians may apply.
● Employee of certain international organizations such as the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), or the International
Telecommunications Satellite Organization (INTELSAT), or other
recognized entities.
● Iraqi who assisted the U.S. government is a category covered under
the National Defense Authorization Act. If you are an Iraqi that has
been employed by the U.S. government for a year or more, you may
apply.
● NATO-7 nonimmigrant including civilian NATO employees and their
unmarried children can potentially apply under this section.
● Panama Canal employees, including working for the Panama Canal
Company, the Canal Zone Government or the U.S. government in the
Canal Zone.
● Physician qualifying for a national interest waiver falls under EB-2
status, allowing individuals with advanced degrees or with “exceptional
ability” to pursue a green card. Stipulations include a requirement to
work as a primary care or specialty provider in healthcare full-time in
clinical practices with a minimum commitment of five years.
● Religious worker including ministers in non-profit religious
denominations that have been actively working for two years prior to
application.

7. If you didn’t win the green card lottery
this year, don’t be discouraged. This
article has shared some of the
options you have to continue your
process of immigrating to the United
States.
Exploring
Green Card
Options

8. Thanks!
Contact us:
Katz Law Office, Ltd.
4105 West 26th Street Chicago,
IL 60623
(773) 321-6651/ (773) 321-6708
http://www.katzlawchicago.com