The entry date for the US Diversity Visa Lottery for the year 2017 began on 1st October 2015. The closing date for the entries is 3rd November 2015.
According to the Spokesman of the US Embassy, Will Stevens, over 10,000 Russians took part in this year’s US green card lottery when compared to the 2012 year lottery.
Around 2,65,086 Russian citizens take their chances which is much higher when compared to the total of ,67,600 three years before. The US State Department figures revealed that globally around 15 million people entered the lottery in the year 2014, which was 25% more than in the year 2013. The increase in the Russian citizens is despite the Anti US propaganda in the media of Russia.
The US green card lottery, which is also known as US DV-2017 (Diversity Immigrant Scheme) is now running in its 20th year. The applicant needs to be from the region with less immigration rate to the US. The eligibility requirement is mentioned on the Department’s website. And the successful applicants can apply for the permanent residency of the US.
In the year 2015, around 4,000 citizens from Russia got green cards through the lottery. And out of 1,00,000 international applicants, 50,000 applicants were disqualified by the routine checks. The number of Russian citizens who apply for the US immigration visas had been tailing off since the year 2011, but it is expected to rise this year. Few Russian citizens are now applying for the US tourist visas and these are granted to them for three year period time, that’s because the current anti US sentiments.
