Every entrant in the green card lottery must meet the education or work experience requirement of the Diversity Visa (DV) program.
Education
Entrants must have at least a high school education or equivalent. The DV program defines "high school education" as:
- Successful completion of a 12-year course of elementary and secondary education in the U.S.; OR
- Successful completion in another country of a formal course of elementary and secondary education comparable to a high school education in the U.S.
If you were part of a correspondence program or if you have an equivalency certificate (like a G.E.D.), you unfortunately do not meet the requirement. Only formal study courses are acceptable.
You will need to present documentary proof of education or work experience to the consular officer at your visa interview, so make sure that you already have these documents or you know how to obtain them in a timely manner.
Work Experience
If you do not meet the high school education requirement, you may be eligible to enter the green card lottery based on your work experience. You must have two years of work experience within the past five years in an occupation requiring at least two years of training or experience.
Only certain occupations qualify for the DV program. Your occupation must be designated as Job Zone 4 or 5, classified in a Specific Vocational Preparation (SVP) range of 7.0 or higher, as defined by Department of Labor's O*Net OnLine database.
Find out how to find qualifying occupations.
Source: U.S. Department of State
