What happens after winning the DV lottery?

[Teroz]

Hi everyone,
I entered the 2017 DV lottery a couple of days ago- I did this with only one thing in mind- Moving to the US to create a better and safer life for me and my family. Now that all of the excitement wrt to entering the lottery has worn off, I have a couple of questions in case I should be lucky enough to "win" the lottery AND end up with a green card... and yes, I know that my chances are pretty slim, but I would still like to be prepared, just in case:
-Is it accurate to say that the visa processing cost will be only +/-USD600, or is this for each member of your family that must be processed?
-Is it better to just pack up and move to the US and only start job hunting once you are there, or is it better to only permanently move your family to the US once you have a job offer? I am asking this since currently I have a permanent job in South-Africa and am a bit hesitant to quit my job and move to the US with no job when I get there- After converting my savings into USD, it will not last very long and I wouldn't want my family to fall into poverty and end up living on the streets just because I didn't think the whole thing through.
- What is the average salary for the working class person with a university degree and roughly 10 years work experience?
- Is there any form of support for people who have won the DV lottery and are moving to the US?

Don't get me wrong, I would jump at the opportunity to move to the US, but understandably, such a move would create a lot of uncertainty wrt one's future since for most people this is uncharted territory.

If anyone is willing to share their experience in this regard with me, I would appreciate it- If there are any South-Africans out there who have gone through this, I would definitely like to hear from you as well.

Thanks and regards,

 

[s.brody]

Basically, being selected in the Diversity Visa is simply being offered a chance to apply for an Immigrant Visa. That's it! You have to go through a similar process that other IV visas applicants go through, like sending Immigration forms, gathering documents, passing a medical and an interview at the Embassy. The BIG advantage with the DV Lottery, is that once you pass the Visa interview and enter USA, you obtain a Green-Card in no time (1-2 months)! While in the case of other types of IV visas, it usually takes longer to receive the GC.

You are not being offered any kind of financial help (from the US Government) when going through this process, and also when arriving to the US. Applying for welfare, once in the US, can get you deported. This is why you're required to present a financial support (money savings) at your interview.

It would be wise to have money to support yourself for a few months until you get a job. Getting a US job offer, while abroad is tough, unless you got connection/networking. So naturally, the order, is to first move permanently, and then look for employment. If coming with your wife and a kid, the financial aspect is vital. You'd want to have some extra savings for unforeseen situation, like medical emergencies.

Keep the following in mind:

• Healthcare in the US is not free, and without insurance, you pay tenfold for medical services, (which rank as the highest in the world, I believe)
  
• The job search process usually takes longer than in other countries. (of course it's quicker if you're targeting lower-skilled jobs)

** For Visa processing costs, look out one your country's Embassy's website.
** Salary varies by industry and position, so

 

[SusieQQQ]

Hi everyone,
I entered the 2017 DV lottery a couple of days ago- I did this with only one thing in mind- Moving to the US to create a better and safer life for me and my family. Now that all of the excitement wrt to entering the lottery has worn off, I have a couple of questions in case I should be lucky enough to "win" the lottery AND end up with a green card... and yes, I know that my chances are pretty slim, but I would still like to be prepared, just in case:
-Is it accurate to say that the visa processing cost will be only +/-USD600, or is this for each member of your family that must be processed?
-Is it better to just pack up and move to the US and only start job hunting once you are there, or is it better to only permanently move your family to the US once you have a job offer? I am asking this since currently I have a permanent job in South-Africa and am a bit hesitant to quit my job and move to the US with no job when I get there- After converting my savings into USD, it will not last very long and I wouldn't want my family to fall into poverty and end up living on the streets just because I didn't think the whole thing through.
- What is the average salary for the working class person with a university degree and roughly 10 years work experience?
- Is there any form of support for people who have won the DV lottery and are moving to the US?

Don't get me wrong, I would jump at the opportunity to move to the US, but understandably, such a move would create a lot of uncertainty wrt one's future since for most people this is uncharted territory.

If anyone is willing to share their experience in this regard with me, I would appreciate it- If there are any South-Africans out there who have gone through this, I would definitely like to hear from you as well.

Thanks and regards,

Hi - standard response here is to wait for selection - you'll understand why people don't want to spend time answering long questions from people who haven't won yet. If you will you will have plenty of time to ask and prepare . However a lot more specific answers and discussions around your questions are in the SAUSA.org forums.

 

[Teroz]

Basically, being selected in the Diversity Visa is simply being offered a chance to apply for an Immigrant Visa. That's it! You have to go through a similar process that other IV visas applicants go through, like sending Immigration forms, gathering documents, passing a medical and an interview at the Embassy. The BIG advantage with the DV Lottery, is that once you pass the Visa interview and enter USA, you obtain a Green-Card in no time (1-2 months)! While in the case of other types of IV visas, it usually takes longer to receive the GC.

You are not being offered any kind of financial help (from the US Government) when going through this process, and also when arriving to the US. Applying for welfare, once in the US, can get you deported. This is why you're required to present a financial support (money savings) at your interview.

It would be wise to have money to support yourself for a few months until you get a job. Getting a US job offer, while abroad is tough, unless you got connection/networking. So naturally, the order, is to first move permanently, and then look for employment. If coming with your wife and a kid, the financial aspect is vital. You'd want to have some extra savings for unforeseen situation, like medical emergencies.

Keep the following in mind:

• Healthcare in the US is not free, and without insurance, you pay tenfold for medical services, (which rank as the highest in the world, I believe)
  
• The job search process usually takes longer than in other countries. (of course it's quicker if you're targeting lower-skilled jobs)

** For Visa processing costs, look out one your country's Embassy's website.
** Salary varies by industry and position, so

Thanks for your reply- My feeling was also that I would probably have to move to the US and then start job hunting, etc. My savings should last a couple of months, but things will be pretty tight considering how weak the South African currency is.
I was hoping that the US government would offer assistance during the whole process- And I don't mean in terms of financial assistance, I mean in terms of guidance and knowledge transfer.

As SusieQQ mentioned, I will give you guys a shout again should I be lucky enough to be one of the lucky entrants! in the meantime I will follow all posts related to the Lottery as I know I will learn a lot from them

Kind regards,

 

[Britsimon]

Thanks for your reply- My feeling was also that I would probably have to move to the US and then start job hunting, etc. My savings should last a couple of months, but things will be pretty tight considering how weak the South African currency is.
I was hoping that the US government would offer assistance during the whole process- And I don't mean in terms of financial assistance, I mean in terms of guidance and knowledge transfer.

As SusieQQ mentioned, I will give you guys a shout again should I be lucky enough to be one of the lucky entrants! in the meantime I will follow all posts related to the Lottery as I know I will learn a lot from them

Kind regards,

They provide a leaflet or two. But other than that you are not going to be helped by the government.