What is the U.S. immigration lottery? Every year there are 55,000 immigrant visas available to prospective immigrants who win a visa lottery. Each country is given a quota of these lottery visas.

These U.S. immigration lottery visas can be the best method of getting a green card. Once you win a U.S. immigration lottery visa, you are free to enter the United States, and also to work in the United States. Once you have residency in the U.S. for five years on your green card, you are able to apply for naturalization, or U.S. citizenship.

How Do You Apply?

The way to apply for the U.S. immigration lottery is to fill out a number of forms for the INS. These forms will ask questions about your background, family and education. Once you submit these forms, you will have a prescribed waiting time before you find out if you've won.

When the lottery is held, the contestants who have won the drawing are notified. Then they are instructed on the steps to take to make an application for their immigrant visa. The countries that have fewer visa applicants are likely to receive more U.S. immigration lottery slots.