Q: Could apply for green card lottery be a problem for future visa applications?
Hello, I have the following questions
1. Can apply for a non immigrant or immigrant visa be a problem if I applied for the green card lottery but I wasn’t selected?
2. If I win the Lottery but my petition for obtaining the green card is denied can I apply for a non immigrant or immigrant visa? If the answer is ‘yes’ after how many time?
3. If my lottery number is not high and I don’t have the opportunity to apply can I apply with other immigrant or non immigrant visas in the future? After how many time?
4. Could the cases of my previous questions be an ostacle for obtaining visas and/or someone working at the USCIS block the petition because of that?
A:
1. A rejected green card lottery application in and of itself will not prevent you from getting a visa in the future.
2. It depends why your green card was denied. If it was denied because of an immigration law violation, then it is unlikely that your application will be approved, no matter how many times you try. There are waivers for some of these violations. We recommend you speak with an immigration attorney.
3. Yes. It doesn’t matter, as long as you are eligible. If you are not, then it doesn’t matter how many times you apply.
4. If you are eligible to immigrate, you are eligible to immigrate. A USCIS employee cannot block an application if you are otherwise eligible to immigrate. Generally you are ineligible to immigrate if you’ve spent too long in the US without permission or you’ve committed certain crimes. Applying for the visa lottery program or otherwise applying for visas will not in and of itself, hurt your chances to immigrate.
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