K1 Visa vs Greencard Lottery

[brynah 0]

This is a strange question.. if anyone can help..

Last May, I was selected in the DV2008 lottery.. then in September, we applied for the K1 Visa. We received our NOA2 in January and I am looking through Packet 3 now. Regardless of the lottery application, we are going to try and hold off on getting the K1 interview until June/July, so that we can move towards the end of the year or the beginning of next year. My fiance is here in Australia with me during this whole time, so we don't have to rush to be together.. therefore we have the luxury of a bit more time.

I'm trying to weigh up the benefits of using the Greencard Lottery.. and if there are any, versus the K1.. at this point, it looks like my number would come up in June for the Greencard Lottery, so around the same timing as the K1.

The differences, as I know them, are this:

K1 and Greencard - both have to enter US within 6 months.

K1 - have to get married within 90 days.

Lottery - could get married whenever we wanted, therefore would have more time to plan/save money.

K1 - would get conditional greencard for 2 years

Lottery - would get 10 year greencard

Does anyone know of any additional benefits/disadvantages to either.. to help me choose? Costs? Does anyone know what happens if you enter in the lottery and then get married to a US citizen?

[SnowyTater 2]

Hi brynah,

It sounds like you know a lot more about everything than I do, so I don't think I'll be much help (though tons of people here at VJ seem like...complete experts at every subject so hold out hope for an answer ).

The only thing I can chip in is that with the K1, about two years after you move into the US you have to adjust your status (guess this is where our 2 year green card 'runs out'). The fee for that right now is $1010 and will probably (?) have gone up by then, so that's a significant little bit of money.

[Jesse and Hema 2]

The biggest difference is the obvious.... the DV Lottery is a lottery.... Might take you 5 or 6 years to get one, for all you know. Last time I calculated, a DV Lottery applicant had about a 65% chance of being selected for a visa.

What has led you to believe that "it looks like [your] number would come up in June for the Greencard Lottery"?

[brynah 0]

The biggest difference is the obvious.... the DV Lottery is a lottery.... Might take you 5 or 6 years to get one, for all you know. Last time I calculated, a DV Lottery applicant had about a 65% chance of being selected for a visa.

What has led you to believe that "it looks like [your] number would come up in June for the Greencard Lottery"?

I'm sorry, should've been more specific. I have been selected in the lottery.. for this year. When you are selected and they send you your information, you get a number for your region. Then each month they issue a bulletin for each region that has a number on it (e.g. 500). If your personal number is under 500, then your interview will be that month, you'll start to receive all the information you need, etc. At the moment, they are about 100 numbers off my number for the month of May, so I'm assuming June will be my "lucky month".

[Sylvia_n_Joseph 3]

The biggest difference is the obvious.... the DV Lottery is a lottery.... Might take you 5 or 6 years to get one, for all you know. Last time I calculated, a DV Lottery applicant had about a 65% chance of being selected for a visa.

What has led you to believe that "it looks like [your] number would come up in June for the Greencard Lottery"?

65% when did you do your math ? I know for the last couple of years there have been over 600000 submittions for 50000 visas that is tless than 1 in a hundred chance.

[Jesse and Hema 2]

The biggest difference is the obvious.... the DV Lottery is a lottery.... Might take you 5 or 6 years to get one, for all you know. Last time I calculated, a DV Lottery applicant had about a 65% chance of being selected for a visa.

What has led you to believe that "it looks like [your] number would come up in June for the Greencard Lottery"?

65% when did you do your math ? I know for the last couple of years there have been over 600000 submittions for 50000 visas that is tless than 1 in a hundred chance.

I did the calculation a couple years ago, and I meant to type "6.5%", but it wouldn't surprise me if I had incorrect numbers. That, or I can't do math

Regardless, OP, if you've already been selected on the DV lottery, that seems like a much easier path to a 10-year green card than this PITA visa process to me.... Looks like you've already done the homework, too. I don't think there's a hidden "gotcha" to the lottery, or a hidden perk to the K-1 that you don't know..

Congrats on your selection, and good luck

[milimelo 4,886]

With DV Lottery, you can apply for citizenship after 5 years of being a PR. Marriage with a USC gets you that in 3 yrs (if you go the CR-1 route) - I think it's a bit longer with K-1 because of AOS and actual date when you get conditional GC.

Weigh your options and then decide. Good luck in any case!