A total of 120,700 immigrants acquired citizenship in the United States last year through the Diversity Visa Program (DVP) marking a notable increase compared to 2022 figures.
In 2022, the number of those naturalized through the Diversity visa program stood at 48,400, while in 2021 and 2020, the figures remained even lower, 34,000 and 29,600, respectively, VisaGuide.World reports.
In spite of the significant increase in the number of naturalized immigrants who reached the US legally through the Diversity Visa program, the rate of entry has remained relatively steady, dating to the fiscal year 2020.
Through the Diversity Visa Program (DV) known as the Green Card Lottery, a limited number of immigrants who meet the needed conditions are eligible to come to the United States legally.
DV Program Aims to Attract Over 50,000 Internationals Each Year
DV Program awards over 50,000 immigrant visas yearly for citizens of countries with low immigration rates. Persons register during an annual registration period and are selected via random lottery.
Those selected in the DV-2025 program are eligible to apply for a visa during the fiscal year 2025 from October 1, 2024, until September 30, 2025.
The data from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) show that last year a total of 878,500 people were naturalized and became citizens of the United States.
The same source revealed that naturalization ceremonies in fiscal years 2022 and 2023 comprised 24 percent of all naturalizations in the past decade.
These individuals who are coming in on a Diversity Visa lottery, still need to meet the naturalization requirements. They’re coming in on green cards as legal permanent residents. They still need to meet the requirements of being here on a green card, moral character, all of that.
a USCIS spokesperson
According to USCIS, the majority of naturalized citizens came to the US as immediate relatives of US citizens or through sponsored preference categories, followed by refugees and asylees as we as employment-based preference categories and via the Diversity Visa Program.
Asylees, as well as refugees, accounted for nearly one-ninth of the total number of migrants naturalized last year, totaling over 100,000 migrants or more specifically 71,100 asylees and 29,000 refugees.
In spite of the significant increase in interest in the US Green Card program, a study revealed previously by the Cato Institute revealed that only three per cent of green card applicants are likely to receive approval for this program this year. This mainly comes as a result of the huge backlog of about 34.7 million applications.
Legal immigration caps plus uncapped categories permit only about 1.1 million green cards for the fiscal year 2024, meaning that 97 percent of green card applicants will not receive one this year. Cato Institute
The report noted that the total caps increased to just under 1.1 million for fiscal year 2024.
