Switzerland’s visa lottery program allows 50,000 randomly selected people to obtain permanent residency yearly.

It is a way for individuals and families who wouldn’t have to immigrate to Switzerland to get a green card legally.

Some of the benefits of applying for the Switzerland visa lottery includes;

You will not need to go to the Switzerland embassy to apply for a visa
You will be free to travel in and out of Switzerland
You will be free to use for your citizenship after five years

Table of Contents

What is Switzerland’s visa lottery program About

A diversity visa lottery is an act established by the Department of State to increase the diversity of the immigrants coming to live in Switzerland.

Generally, the Green Card is permanent. It is valid for a lifetime. It must be renewed, however, after ten years, but this is only a formality.

Countries not eligible for the lottery

To enter Switzerland’s visa lottery program, you must be a native of a country with a low immigration rate to Switzerland to qualify for Switzerland’s visa lottery program.

Your eligibility is determined only by the country of your birth and not based on your country of citizenship and or current residence.

Below are names of countries whose natives are currently excluded from the Switzerland Diversity Lottery.

Bangladesh
Brazil
Canada
China (Including Hong Kong SAR)
Colombia
Dominican Republic
El Salvador
Haiti
Honduras
India
Jamaica
Mexico
Nigeria
Pakistan
Peru
Philippines
South Korea
United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland)
Venezuela
Vietnam

Application requirements

To enter Switzerland’s visa lottery program, you must comply with one of the following two requirements (Option 1 or Option 2 below) to qualify:

when you can prove that you have completed a high school diploma or an equivalent level of education. This suffices that the applicant should have completed at least 12 years of formal primary and secondary school schooling and proves to ascertain claims; otherwise, your entry may be disqualified.
Applicant must have worked in one of the following occupations for at least two to five years:

Click here to view all qualifying jobs

Entering the Visa lottery (aka green card lottery) involves filling out a simple form online where you are to provide the list of information below about yourself and your family

Last and first name(s)
Date, place, and country of birth.
Marital status
Passport information
Spouse information

Lottery selection process

Applicants will be allotted among the six geographic regions. The allotment for a country is not more than 7% of the winners. The computer will randomly select a specific number of winners from the broad base of the region.

About 100,000 to 150,000 winners will be chosen at this stage worldwide.

List of documents winners must present

Birth Certificate
Marriage certificate
Documents reflecting a change of name, if any
Photographs
Medical certificates
Evidence of acquired education or work experience as mentioned above
Police report
Court & prison record

How to Apply

You can enter Switzerland. Diversity Visa Lottery for free at www.state.gov www.dvlottery.com or

Contact a visa expert.

Steps on how to apply Switzerland’s visa lottery program

1 . Submit your entry: After you submit a complete entry, you will see a confirmation screen containing your name and a unique confirmation number.

You are to print the confirmation screen for your records. You must retain your confirmation number. It is the only way you can check the status of your entry and also obtain further instructions or schedule an interview for a visa if you are selected.

Selection: Applicants are to confirm if their online registration was selected or not at www. E-DV.

You will need to enter your confirmation number, which you obtained when you filled out your entry form, to check your entry status. Applicants are to secure their confirmation number as they will not be able to check the status of their entry in case of misplacement.

When Selected: if you receive notification through the Electronic Diversity Visa (E-DV) website that you have been selected for further processing in the Diversity Immigrant Visa (DV) Program, you must complete the following steps below before a consular interview can be scheduled to determine if you will receive a visa.
Confirm Your Qualifications: if you do not have the required education or qualifying work experience, you are not eligible for a diversity visa. (Only the principal applicant must meet these requirements, your spouse and children do not have to meet the requirement.) You should consider not pursuing a DV application if you do not meet the qualifying education or work experience.

You may not be eligible for a diversity visa, and any fees you pay for the visa application will not be refunded.

Submit Supporting Documents: After Kentucky Consular Center receives and processes the DS-260 application form for you and your accompanying family members, you will receive instructions to submit the required supporting documents.

Until you submit scanned copies of all required supporting documents, following the guidelines, your interview will not be scheduled.

If you cannot obtain a particular document, send why you cannot get the document.

Scheduling an interview: you may receive an email from KCC to let you know that an interview has been scheduled in Switzerland. Embassy you selected on your form. The e-mail will instruct you to log into the Entrant Status Check on the Electronic Diversity Visa website, using your DV entry confirmation number, to view the date, time, and location of your visa interview.

Print the information to take along with you to your interview. You will need to be present at the interview, as well as your spouse and children as applicable.

How to prepare for the Interview: You should prepare for your interview thoroughly and carefully. Applicants are advised to be fully prepared for their interview in Switzerland. Embassy or Consulate to avoid delay or denial of their visa application.

Carefully Review your scheduling information in the Entrant Status noting the date, time, and location of your immigrant visa interview.
Review Switzerland. Embassy or Consulate Interview Instructions. There may be additional instructions provided by Switzerland. Embassy or Consulate where you will be applying and be interviewed, so please review those instructions carefully. Please note that some of the information in these instructions may apply to immigrant visa classifications other than diversity visas. If you have questions about the country-specific information contained here, don’t hesitate to contact the embassy or consulate where you will apply for your visa.
Gather Photographs and All Remaining Required Documents, Photographs

Visa Fees. Before the interview, each applicant must pay the Diversity Visa fee. For DV-2022 applicants, the price is $330 per person. This fee is nonrefundable, whether a visa is issued or not. Learn more about Fees.

Applicants interview: before your interview, ensure you have followed Switzerland. Embassy or Consulate interview preparation instructions. On the scheduled date and time of your interview appointment, go to Switzerland. Embassy or Consulate. A consular officer will interview you (and accompanying family member beneficiaries) and determine whether or not you can receive an immigrant visa. As part of the interview process, ink-free, digital fingerprint scans will be taken.

What to bring to the interview;

Appointment Letter – Your appointment information from the Entrant Status Check on the Electronic Diversity Visa
Confirmation Page – You can print this from the Consular Electronic Application Center any time after you complete your DS-260 application.
Passport – For each applicant, an unexpired passport valid for six months beyond the intended date of entry into Switzerland
Photographs – Two identical color photographs for each applicant. Photos must meet the standards explained in the Photograph Requirements.
Medical Exam Results – If the panel physician gave you sealed envelopes containing each applicant’s medical examination results, please bring those unopened envelopes. Some physicians send the medical examination results directly to Switzerland. Embassy or Consulate. For more information, review Prepare for the Interview.
Original and Supporting Documents – Bring original documents or certified copies of all documents you submitted to KCC for you and each family member applying for a visa except for your passport). You may also be required to provide evidence of work and education requirements, marriage certificates, marriage termination documentation, and custody documentation. If you have a new document that you did not submit to KCC, bring both the original and one photocopy. Your original documents will be returned to you when the interview has been completed. The photocopies will be kept. For more information, review Prepare Your Supporting Documents.
English Translations – If documents require English translation, you must obtain certified translations and present them in your interview. For more information, review Prepare Your Supporting Documents.
Visa Fees – If you did not pay your visa fees before your interview, you must pay them before speaking with a consular officer. For more information, review Prepare for the Interview.

After the Interview

At the end of your immigrant visa interview in Switzerland. Embassy or Consulate, the consular officer will inform you whether your visa application is approved or denied.

Visa approval – When approved, you will be informed how and when your passport and visa will be returned to you.

Visa denial – If denied, you will be informed why you are ineligible to receive a visa.

Note: Some refused visa applications may require further administrative processing. When administrative processing is required, the consular officer will inform the applicant at the end of the interview.

The duration of the administrative processing will vary based on the individual circumstances of each case.

Visa Approval – When You Receive Your Visa

Passport with Visa – Your diversity visa will be placed on a page in your access. Please review the printed information right away to ensure there are no errors.

If there are any spelling errors, contact the embassy or consulate promptly.

Sealed Immigrant Packet – You will also receive a sealed packet containing documents that you must present to Switzerland. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at a port-of-entry (often an airport) upon your arrival in Switzerland.

It would help if you did not open the sealed packet.

When You Should Travel – You must arrive and apply for admission in Switzerland no later than the visa expiration date printed on your visa.

A diversity visa is usually valid for up to six months from the date of issuance unless your medical examination expires sooner, which may make your visa crucial good for less than six months.

Vaccination Records – Children must have certain vaccinations before enrolling in Switzerland. Therefore, it is recommended that your child have complete vaccination records before immigrating.

X-rays – You must hand-carry your X-rays with you, not pack them in your luggage.

Entering Switzerland

When traveling to Switzerland, the principal applicant must enter before or at the same time as family members with visas.

Conclusion

Please, note that proof that you satisfy these requirements should NOT be submitted when entering or submitting your form.

Applicants who do not match these basic requirements are advised not to apply to this program. You may need to provide proof of education, work experience, and native country only if selected.