Why you should really participate in the Green Card lottery?

Until November 9, you have the opportunity to participate in the Green Card Lottery, or The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program. This is an annual program that raffles off a Green Card — an American identity document confirming the status of a US resident. We spoke with past lottery winners and learned about tips for filling out applications, the experience of moving, and how an emigration crisis is normal.

Anna, 42 years old

My Green Card application won on the first try. This happened in 2017, and in 2018 we moved. We are me, my husband, and two sons, who were then 16 years old and one year old. Until that moment, I had never been to America, and there was no big goal to move there. But life flows, throwing up options – you never know where it will come from. I was quite ready for changes: for example, a year before winning, I got married and moved from Angarsk, Irkutsk region, to my husband in Moscow. 

His friend, a 'Russian American,' helped us with the lottery application. He just called and, saying 'Let there be more of our people here,' asked us to send our data and photos. That's how we applied for the Green Card.

The moment I found out about the win was a mix of shock, joy, and tears. Very strong emotions. I was seven months pregnant then, but I couldn't resist dancing the Lezginka. The whole family started dancing. We didn't doubt for a second that we would continue to submit documents and go for an interview. 

In Russia, my entire work experience was with the Ministry of Internal Affairs; I worked as a software engineer, then as head of the statistics department. Now I am a retired major. My husband works as a pilot. His constant flights to Chicago allowed us not to rush finding a new job when we moved. Gradually, he obtained an American license, and when the pandemic ended and local companies resumed hiring, he accepted an offer. The conditions are not ideal: he had to transition from captain to first officer with a salary reduction for the first probationary year. But this didn't upset my husband: according to him, he feels stability here. And also, the flight norm here is 30 hours  hours, not 90 as in Russia. Our elder son is studying at university, specializing in accounting and finance. A year ago  my daughter, our third child, was born. So, I can say I work as a mom. 

We live in a very beautiful area near Lake Michigan. It's been five years, and I'm still in love with it. Chicago perfectly suits my personal preferences; there's a good balance between income and expenses here. 

The difficulty that remains is with the language. But that's just me; I simply lack practice. There are problems with kindergartens: until the age of four, they are private and expensive, starting from $1200 per month. School for children is free and starts at four years old. 

I traveled to the Russian Federation once and realized that I don't miss it, nor do I aspire to visit often. There were worries that I wouldn't manage with the little ones without the protection of grandparents. Or that my husband wouldn't be able to find a job. But we did everything gradually, with the thought that this is now our new home. 

I recently realized that when I'm in a bad mood, going outside helps 100%: people smile,  compliment your dress, and coo at children. And they also tolerate your English. People here are kind!

An emigration crisis is unavoidable. Of course, you've left everything familiar, you speak another language, your jokes aren't understood. But I see opportunities in these difficulties. What's more, after February 24, it became perfectly clear that we are lucky.

A couple of tips for those ready to fill out applications: don't Photoshop photos and don't postpone submission until the last moment — the website might freeze. Read the instructions; if you don't understand something, ask on forums.

Don't be afraid to ask! Usually, those who have moved are happy to share their experience. You'll save a lot of effort.

And then write your unique winning story, and may it be a happy one.

Maria, 58 years old

I won the card 16 years ago. On the first try, even though I participated in the competition just for fun. There was no particular desire to move, nor to win the card. Before that, I had only been to the USA as a tourist, and I didn't like anything there. Apparently, that's why there was no euphoria or delight from the victory: on the contrary, I didn't want to deal with some unclear matters – embassy interviews, obtaining medical certificates, and other bureaucratic nonsense. But I did it all, just in case. In Moscow, I had a good, established life: a new large apartment, friends, parents. Everything that had accumulated after 40 years of life. My daughter insisted on the move – she was 14, and I was just about to send her to study in Europe. So we took the cats and left. We had some savings. Before emigrating, I divorced my husband: he, by the way, categorically did not want to go.

The first year was awful. My daughter went to a regular school, and I sat on the couch in depression and cried. I only went to courses, learning the language – I arrived completely mute and deaf. If it weren't for my daughter, I probably would have gone back. But my daughter had clear plans: she finished school, entered university. Now she works in investments. A very smart and determined girl. At some point, I met an American: we dated for five years, then got married. Now I live in New Jersey.

I love America very much: it's so different in the south and north, east and west. Yes, it's not ideal, but no country is. The USA is a wonderful country to live in. As for the difference in mentalities, it's easily overcome if there's a desire. Just try not to flaunt excessive imperialistic attitudes and the 'mysterious Russian soul' too much. By the way, what is that? 

As for the application, my main advice here is not to lie. I know that families with children are welcomed: it's like a guarantee that parents will surely try to integrate. 

My social circle consists mainly of our people, apart from my husband's huge family. Here, by the way, there are constant family celebrations: engagements, funerals, national holidays – you have to get used to them. By the way, I was very well received into the family: an atmosphere of maximum goodwill. 

People in America are different. Where aren't they? I often remember standing in the middle of the street with a bewildered face, not knowing where to go. People approached me, tried to understand and point something out with gestures, and escorted me to the right place. And this was only in Manhattan, which is considered the rudest place in the USA!

In short, learn the language, don't be afraid, and come. At least for the sake of your children. 

Vitaliy, 33 years old

I won the Green Card 1.5 years ago – on my third attempt. I specifically wanted to go to America. I worked in IT, lived in Moscow, observed the growing repression, and by 2019, I clearly realized that I needed to move in the coming years. 

I spent a long time persistently searching for opportunities to move to the USA. I started with trips to New York, San Francisco, and Miami as a tourist. Then I looked for a lawyer to prepare a petition for an EB-1 visa. This is a visa for highly qualified specialists; it takes at least three years to obtain, and the process is labor-intensive. My wife and I had been automatically filling out the Green Card application every year for the past few years. The chance of winning is less than 0.5%, and I never counted on it. Often, when I grumbled at my wife that she wasn't helping me at all with collecting documents for the EB-1 visa, she would joke that she didn't need to: she'd win the Green Card lottery. Honestly, this annoyed me greatly. I didn't believe it was possible. And then the day of results came. I checked mine: nothing. I checked my wife's application, and she was selected with a sequence number. Then there was a lot of euphoria and, of course, 'See, I told you so!'

Immediately after winning, my wife and I went to New York on a tourist visa. We planned to live there for six months – the maximum allowed by a tourist visa. But we only lasted three – we really wanted to go home. It was a great experience: we were able to live through all the initial emigration difficulties in advance. Essentially, we did a practice run: we experienced all the stress and inconveniences that come with moving to another country, and then returned home to recover and process the entire experience. This helped us with the actual move. We were prepared for the anxieties of the first few months and no longer worried much about language problems, daily life, or uncertainty. We simply accept it as a given, as a certain stage that just requires time.

In the end, we didn't move to the USA because we weren't invited for an interview until the very last moment. Generally, unpleasant things have been happening with the Green Card lottery in the last three years: fewer visas were issued than should have been, as they couldn't process applications and invite people for interviews in time. Four months before the end of the possible interview period, we lost hope in this lottery and started applying for a visa to Canada. In the end, we moved to Canada without any problems. We were eventually invited for the Green Card interview, but my wife and I decided there was no point in going through the whole process with flights, medical exams, card processing, etc. We like living in Canada.

As for tips on applying and filling out forms, I strongly recommend saving all data in a document on your computer. This is a useful thing in case of a win. Sometimes things change over a year, and people can't remember what information they entered in the application.

My advice to those planning to participate this year: don't consider the lottery as your primary option for moving. In essence, it's a double or triple lottery: first, a person is selected, then given a sequence number. Those with a lower number have a higher chance of being called for an interview first. Sometimes, your country is assigned to a slow or problematic US consulate. So, there are already three parameters that you cannot influence at all. I recommend playing every year, but if you truly want to emigrate, you need a method that depends on your knowledge, skills, and persistence, not just luck. Such as a work visa, startup visa, EB-1, or political asylum. 

Darya, 29 years old

I won on my second attempt. I played purposefully – I wanted to go to the USA one way or another. I found out about the victory on May 9, 2021. I checked my application: it was a winner. Then my husband's application – he won too! This is a rare case: usually, only one person from a couple wins, but here both won, and in the same year. We were shocked and very happy.

Before winning, I lived in Moscow for seven years, and I was born in Ivanovo. In September 2022, I moved to Los Angeles. I liked everything in Russia, wasn't running from anything, just wanted to live in the States. I worked as a project manager in a consulting company, dealing with foreign companies, opening accounts, and residence permits. In 2021, I became pregnant and went on maternity leave.

We've only been living in the USA for a month. During this time, we've managed a few things: finding and setting up housing from scratch, opening bank accounts, getting the Green Cards themselves, sorting out insurance, and buying a car. My husband is working, but it's a temporary position for now. I spend all my time with our son. Difficulties, of course, arose: even with familiar things – like getting internet and electricity connected to the apartment. Finding housing is also a whole quest. Although our documents are in order, and we are legally in the country, we don't have a stable income or credit history, which is extremely important for Americans. Without these points, finding decent housing in a good area is quite difficult.

There aren't many tips for filling out the application. Just stick to the instructions, use a new photo, don't lie on the application, and don't submit multiple applications simultaneously – you can be disqualified for all of these.

My advice: play, even if you haven't decided what to do if you win yet. A US residence permit doesn't just lie around!

The official website for the Green Card lottery is here.