Lottery for Foreign Wife?

[The White Fiance 22]

I applied for a visa for my wife about a year ago. She is now telling me she is interested in the lottery.

 

Will a lottery entry have any negative effects on her existing application?

 

Since spouses get preference, is there any point in applying for the lottery?

[Timona 4,207]

No.

 

And even if she wins and gets a low number, the earliest she can come with lottery is 2024 ...by then her I-130 would have already processed.

 

Unfortunately, lottery doesn't factor spouses. Even if she won, she won't get here quick "because her husband is USC."

 

Edited October 5, 2022 by Timona

[Jordanian Bride 268]

No negative effects, just makes no sense. She'll get her spousal visa before the DV she'd get from the lottery.

[The White Fiance 22]

Thank you for the help. I have explained things to her.

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

The only reason it doesn’t make sense is the timing, if you applied for the spouse petition a year ago

Here are reasons it would make sense in a number of situations:

- the timing for getting a green card might be similar 

- no i864 is required - so USC is not on the hook for anything. If immigrant needs financial support to get the visa the one for DV is I134, which is not legally binding on USC

- the proof of eligibility for DV is much easier: meet education requirement, no criminal record, no public charge. Do not need piles of proof that marriage is bona fide 

- if marriage less than 2 years old at entry (doesn’t sound like this would be a factor for you) then the incoming spouse and couple benefit from spouse getting unconditional green card immediately/not having to do removal of conditions 

- the DV process as a whole is much cheaper, but as you’ve already started the spouse petition some of those are sunk costs anyway 

 

putting this out there for others who might be doing a search even if you feel it doesn’t apply to your situation. 

 

tbh if I were the spouse I’d submit an entry anyway, it costs nothing other than a bit of time. Chances of being selected are tiny obviously but there is only potential upside if she is 

Edited October 9, 2022 by SusieQQQ