Green card lottery requirements are proposed by the United States Department of State. Popular confusion is that the USCIS organizes this lottery. The truth is that the United States Department of State organizes this program and the USCIS has not any hand in the program. However, the sanctioning of the visa for qualifying applicants is the ultimate role of the USCIS.

People are of notion that meeting green card lottery requirements and getting selected in the computer draw is the end of the show. The truth is, even if any candidate has all the qualifications for green card lottery requirements, the ultimate issue of getting the visa under this program is up to the discrimination of the visa officer who works out the qualification criteria per the program guidelines.

Though green card lottery requirements can be met easily, luck plays a major role in getting selected in the draw. Even slightest deviation from the rules can lead to disqualification. After the first barrier of luck is crossed and if one gets selected in the lottery draw, the next major step is the interview process, which is the actual determining factor to get the green card. Getting selected in the draw is no guarantee for getting a green card until the prospect clears the USCIS interview.

There are not going to be any special concessions for people who got selected via the green card lottery. Slightest manipulation of educational qualifications or work experience can result in denial of the visa for the prospect.

Another important one of the green card lottery requirements is that if a winner has been selected in the draw for the current year, they are eligible to apply for the current financial year. If for some reason they were not able to show up for the interview, they cannot claim to be issued with a green card for the next year. Each year’s winner qualifies for the respective year’s quota and not for the next year. A winner of 2009 draw cannot claim to get one in the 2010 quota.

The United States Department of State chooses more than the said quota of 50,000 candidates. This is done because most winners do not seem to qualify the interview at the USCIS. The government tries to fill in the said quota of 50,000, by choosing more people. Say if 85,000 people were chosen and 50,001 people qualified, only the first come first served 50,000 are issued the green card and not the qualifying person who is in the 50,001 rank.