The DV lottery instructions seem to confuse people about the main requirements for the DV lottery process. The first requirement is about country of eligibility which I will address in another post. The second requirement is education/work experience. So I would like to address some common misconceptions. The rules say this.
Requirement #2: In addition, to meet the education/work experience requirement of the DV program,
you must have either:
a high school education or its equivalent, defined as successful completion of a 12-year course of
elementary and secondary education;
OR
two years of work experience within the past five years in an occupation requiring at least two
years of training or experience to perform. The U.S. Department of Labor’s O*Net Online
database will be used to determine qualifying work experience.
I highlight the either/OR because that is the first misconception – You only need to qualify by one or the other, not both. If you meet the education requirement you do not have to worry about proving work experience.
The second misconception is that each adult (husband and wife) needs to meet the requirement #2. That is normally not the case (the exception being to do with cross charging which I will explain in another post). The principal selectee only needs to meet the requirement.
OK so let’s look at the two options. The first is the simplest and best way to qualify.
Education requirement
The intent of this requirement is to take in immigrants that have achieved an education equivalent to a USA High School education. Note the “USA” part. They are dealing with immigrants from all over the world and needed to establish some “level” in USA terms that can be compared to other countries. So – the level they chose is High school. This is the point at which an American child has graduated high school and is qualified to enter s US University (college).
The term High school is confusing. For instance, in the UK where I was educated, “High school” ended at 16 years old – and that would NOT be sufficient to meet the DV requirement. In UK terms a child would have to attend 2 further years of education beyond 16 years old (receiving “A levels”) to be qualified to enter a University – and that is the level required therefore. Other countries will have other standards – and each embassy is able to set the level required based on their understanding. This has led to some changes over the years that has caught people out. Some embassies publish specific and quite detailed information such as this information for DV2015 from the Kenyan US embassy or the information from the embassy in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka by the way was a recent example of changing their standards and there are some sad stories about that on the internet.
There is a page which offers a listing for many countries here. However, be very careful with the information as it is not 100% accurate or up to date and some countries will have varied their requirements (again Sri Lanka is an example).
So – hopefully by now you have understood that there is a minimum requirement for your country. The various embassy websites are a good place to get information on the level required.
Does a higher education satisfy the education requirement???
Another common question I get asked is “I have a Bachelors degree/masters or whatever, surely I don’t have to show my High school A levels/High school diploma”. The answer is a bit of a grey area. It makes sense that someone having gained their masters or whatever must have met the requirements BUT there are some exceptions to that logic. For example, it is possible to obtain a Masters degree without having finished 12 years of elementary and secondary education and for that reason some Consular Officers will be “picky” about seeing the HIgh School level proof. There have been many reported cases where COs have insisted on this and I am sure there have been cases of denials based on this.
Vocational education
The rules specifically exclude vocational education as being used to qualify on education grounds. For example, if a selectee were to leave school at 16 and then immediately or later go into a vocational program such as teaching or nursing, the time spent in that vocational training/education could not be used to satisfy the educational requirement. In cases such as this, the selectee may need to consider whether their work experience is sufficient to meet the requirement #2.
Work Experience requirement
Ok let’s say you cannot qualify on education grounds. It is possible to base your eligibility on your work experience – although doing so is harder than education so you would only use this as a fallback method. Why is it harder, well with education you either do or you don’t meet the requirement. You present your proof and as long as you understood the standard correctly you are done. Work experience cases are “judged” by the CO based on the proof you can supply at the interview. They are subjective therefore – it is a matter of how well you can convince the CO that you meet the requirement.
So ok – what is the requirement? The instructions say it is 2 years experience, gained in the previous 5 years, in a job that meets the standard described in the O*Net database. The standard to be met is a job that is classified in job zone 4 or 5 with a SVP (Specific Vocational Preparation) rating of 7.0 or higher. Not all jobs will meet that criteria – it is generally jobs which require a higher level of education, or skills.
How do you check your job? Well you navigate to the O*Net database and enter your approximate job title in the Occupation Search field. You will get a list of similar jobs and you should find the one that is closest to your work by title. For example I typed in “teachers” and from there I chose “Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education“. Scroll down the page and find the section “Job Zone” as shown here:-
You can see that Kindergarten teachers is a job at the correct qualifying level. However if you look at a Teachers Assistant – then you can see that is NOT a qualifying job.
Sometimes of course your exact job title will not appear. You can choose a similar job that explains what you do and if necessary you might want to detail your job duties to show they align well with the skills, tasks and so on of the job you wish to use as proof.
How to present the case…
OK – you believe you have found the right job description in the O*Net database. You are soon to attend the interview – how do you prepare.
Well first of all, you have to understand that your credibility will come in to play. The CO has some latitude about how they approve these work experience cases, your task is to give them a good case to be able to approve you.
I would suggest preparing a well organized and professional looking file to include as much as possible of the following:-
- The print out from of the job to which you are aligning your experience.
- Employment letters such as job offers, promotion letters and so on.
- Letters (preferably notarized) from current and former managers, colleagues and so on.
- A description of your day to day duties in the roles covering a minimum of 2 years.
- Details of any vocational training or education that supports you in your job.
- Examples of work product if possible/applicable.
Make this as complete as possible. As I said your credibility counts, so look professional, have a professional demeanor and make sure what you present is well presented, free of typos etc. You generally should not need professional help in preparing this file – and if you think about it the use of a professional could cause the CO to question whether yuou are really at the level you are claiming.
It is worth spending some time on this point, if you fail to convince the CO and have not qualified on education you will be denied and there is no appeal process (if processing outside of the USA).
OK hope that helps. Feel free to comment or ask questions below, I will come back to you as fast as possible.
I recently created a video on this same subject – so feel free to look at that too.
June 29, 2016 at 15:57
It is said that for high school course of study we should either write it as ‘academic ‘or ‘vocational ‘ but i made a mistake by writing ‘educational ‘ will this be a problem sir??
June 29, 2016 at 17:48
No.
June 30, 2016 at 13:31
My cousin win bat he dont have higt school set but i have 10 year working experience and i want to teaching school but that we not doing English but i do understand English and i can read and write too..
June 30, 2016 at 14:08
Your cousin need to have work experience at a certain level as described in the article above.
June 30, 2016 at 14:08
Your cousin need to have work experience at a certain level as described in the article above.
July 3, 2016 at 20:31
i have a diploma in pharmacy which i did for 3 years plus one year internship and have 6 years work experience. if i appear for DV interview for visa at the American embassy will i be given the visa?
July 3, 2016 at 20:40
Probably.
July 3, 2016 at 22:00
Hi Britsimon
I have experience in mechanical engineering for two years, and I have a diploma Engineering Mechanics has taught at four years (maintenance mechanics engineering) university degree, is two years training is required, or engineering diploma will sing for training
July 4, 2016 at 00:13
Train itself is not required. Read my work experience post.
July 4, 2016 at 02:38
Are university diploma, a level less than the bachelor will support me with the experience in the function of mechanical engineer in the interview
July 4, 2016 at 15:07
That would help – but are you saying you have work experience as a mechanical engineer? If so – that is what you need to show.
July 4, 2016 at 20:47
Thank you Britsimon
But,The problem I’ve got an interview in Khartoum and had experience in the salesperson and the consul was trying to give him the acceptance but was not carrying a two-year training and request consul and then was the reason for my rejection of training in this post in 2015
July 8, 2016 at 04:20
1) How are you britSimon? Is there any need to fill out the education part of the DS-260 form if you have the work experience. Can it be skipped (by selecting not available) without any consequences.
July 8, 2016 at 14:21
No, it’s a question. Don’t skip it. Answer everything.
July 11, 2016 at 08:38
Hi, I have made a spelling error in my first name and date of birth is also incorrect. I didn’t start processing ds260 form yet. should I ask KCC to correct my original entry or should I proceed filling ds260 with the correct data? thanks
July 11, 2016 at 16:11
You cannot correct the errors on the entry, but make sure the DS260 is accurate.
July 13, 2016 at 14:41
We are a family was the interview of the Lottery on the 29th of last month did not meet a consul just told us that there is a problem with the case number and they will be contacted us later and worked for the spotted mistake and we found that he was not sent the number of the entire family together knowing we are 6 members were sent 5 Straighten ready for the Embassy of what this problem and when will be solved
July 13, 2016 at 17:06
I don’t know when the problem will be solved.
July 15, 2016 at 14:41
1. I was selected for the DV Lottery 2017 in May of this year. Is there a deadline to fill out the DS-260 Form? Or when should I submit the DS-260 Form?
2. I am waiting to get my Passport and there is a section on the DS-260 Form that asks you to enter your Passport Number and Issue date..I cannot fill it out since I have not gotten my Passport as of yet. Is that Information required to submit a DS-260 or is it ok to just choose the other option which is “Other Travel Document” and submit the DS-260 while waiting for my Passport.
3. I have a High School Certificate. I Completed High School. My wife did not complete High School. Will we be ok since I am the one who was selected and I meet the Education Requirements? Does my wife need to have work experience?
July 15, 2016 at 14:50
1. You can submit immediately or wait a few months. A delay in submitting delays your processing obviously.
2. You can submit now with other travel doc and update later.
3. Only the principal selectee needs to meet the requirement.
July 15, 2016 at 15:23
So the fact that I have not yet submitted my DS-260 by now means that my processing may be delayed a bit or will it be delayed if I have not submitted the DS260 by October 2016 this year when they start processing the DV Lottery 2017 applicants?
July 15, 2016 at 16:12
You have already caused delay – but don’t stress about it. There are some weeks (months) of processing delays once you submit the DS260.
More info here:
https://britsimonsays.com/dv2017-basic-questions/
July 16, 2016 at 07:26
Pls I have many years experience laundry and cleaning. Last year I opened my own business. Do you think my certificate to operate is enough proof if I win? Thank you!
July 16, 2016 at 13:43
No. Please READ the article above.
July 16, 2016 at 09:20
I am an electrician from Romania I have 10 years experience and I have done the technical college in Romania for 3 years plus another 8 years primary school and 1 more year in college in London I would like to know if I will qualify for the DV visa I work domestic, commercial and industrial electrical installation. Thank you
July 16, 2016 at 13:37
I don’t know exactly how the technical college will be viewed. If it is viewed as vocational, that might be a problem. So – with the education you have could you have enrolled in a University? That is the level they are looking for.
The other route is work experience. If your work is hands on electrical work, that is unlikely to qualify you.
July 16, 2016 at 19:59
Hi
I am the principal selected. I just collected my new passport but what I noticed is that there is Name, Post name ,Givename. But in DS 260 there is only surname nd Givename so how to fill it? Should I use name nd Post name as surname?
My daughter name have a mistake in letter than A they put E.example Annany it Anneny what to do? Because I need to fill the ds 260.
Please help me.
July 16, 2016 at 20:01
Hi
My daughter passport have a mistake in letter than A they put E in the middle. Example than(Annany it anneny)what to do?fill it the way it is or need a new passport?
2.this new passport have :name,post name end givename.,but in the ds 260 there is only surname end givename.how do we fill it.
To put name end post name together as surname?
Please help.
July 16, 2016 at 21:06
If it is a mistake in the passport, get it fixed. Once fixed, the DS260 should match the passport.
July 17, 2016 at 02:12
Ok.I will fixe my daughter name.
But for name,post name how to fill it ?Should i fill it as Surname?
Because it a new biometric passport that my country did relice this year.
French _English.
July 17, 2016 at 07:13
Hi nicole .are you from DRC?If yes plz tell me how long it takes for the new passport.
July 17, 2016 at 22:55
Surname = lastname
July 24, 2016 at 18:43
Hi Simon! I studied my first year in a different academic lyceum before i transfered to another and finished 2nd and 3rd there and got my diploma. Should i include both lyceums in work/education section?
July 24, 2016 at 19:44
Yes
July 24, 2016 at 18:48
in DS 260 under the number of educational institutions attented I wrote 2.(school and academic lyceum) As I explained above comment I attended two lyceums(the second one i was transfered to and where i got my diploma). Thanks in anvance
July 27, 2016 at 15:23
I have a diploma in nursing which category do I fall into …
July 27, 2016 at 15:58
Category of what?
July 27, 2016 at 18:29
Should I check some university courses or some graduate level courses? Regarding my diploma in nursing
July 28, 2016 at 00:45
I don’t know anything about your diploma. Did you do it at University? Really – use your own best judgment.
July 30, 2016 at 00:18
hi Simon win the lotery May 3, 2016but i hav nt a bacalorea high shool i 30-month diploma ( senior technician computer maintenane and I have 4 years of eperience in domain tkt you Wait your answer
July 30, 2016 at 00:52
In domain? doing what, exactly?
July 30, 2016 at 09:54
my diploma senior technician computer service i work in a cyber cafer nowadays the maintenace and instalation networks and systems
July 30, 2016 at 10:15
my diploma senior technician computer service i work in Internet cafe nowadays the maintenace and instalation networks and systems qualified or not tnk you
July 30, 2016 at 13:52
I can’t be certain. You have to be honest with yourself about what you can show as experience and how it aligns to a role on O*Net.
July 30, 2016 at 06:13
Hla Simon simple queries I have practical experience in the Board of kindergartens in the US and the site seen on the experience of my own written kindergarten teachers, except special education Why are intended meaning except special education, and if the government intended to education and I’m in a special education What will happen
July 30, 2016 at 13:57
They classify the skills of special education teachers slightly differently (specific training)
August 4, 2016 at 18:14
I’m about to obtain my degree in Food’s Engineering. It’s a 5-6 years career in my country after you finished High School. It’s that the equivalent to a Master Degree or a Bachelor university degree in the USA?
And I don’t have any work experience, so should I apply as Education only right?
August 4, 2016 at 20:48
The vocational education cannot be considered for immigration purposes.
August 6, 2016 at 21:30
how to see the job note on the site /www.onetonline.org tnkts
August 7, 2016 at 05:21
hello Simon,
could you pls let me know if free lance work counts for required work experience. the O net does list insurance sales agent as level four, but in my country almost all insurance agents operate on a freelance basis. in the sense they are not on the company payroll and they are not required to sign in for a 8-5 work day. apart from that , all training , meetings and other work related activities take place similar to that of a full time worker.
I’d be much obliged if you could clarify this for me.
Many Thanks!
August 7, 2016 at 07:39
Freelance work is more difficult to prove. You would need to show official income records and so on.
August 7, 2016 at 07:57
Many thanks !
So if you have records indicating payment every month by the company you work for , should that clear you?
Thanks for your time once again.
August 7, 2016 at 14:39
You haven’t replied to any conversation – so your question is out of context.
August 7, 2016 at 14:41
I found the other comments. Make sure your REPLY in future.
Having payslips will help – but I can’t say it will “clear you” with 100% certainty.
August 8, 2016 at 03:49
Thanks once again!
August 12, 2016 at 04:56
Hi, i am diploma engineer. Can you tell me please which educational category i select ?
August 12, 2016 at 14:48
Use your best judgment!
August 12, 2016 at 16:00
Hello Simon, I have university degree I hope I can apply for the dv lottery.
August 12, 2016 at 17:14
Anyone can apply – and the requirements are described above.
August 16, 2016 at 16:44
Hi BritSimon, please I want to know if a Ghana citizen that won dv2017(on a single entrance) can marry a Canadian(where dv lottery have been stopped)?
August 16, 2016 at 18:46
Yes that is fine. However, I should point out that MANY Ghana cases are refused for fraudulent documents – so be very sure to be 100% prepared with nothing but real documents. They will also want proof the relationship existed prior to the DV lottery win.
August 23, 2016 at 19:37
Hello ,
The article was very helpful but I have a question related to my education as i didn’t get it regarding having a bachelor’s degree as I am graduated from a university in Egypt so is it counted or not and thank u in advance.
August 23, 2016 at 20:13
That should meet the requirement.
August 24, 2016 at 02:08
Hi Brit, please I want to know minimum grading point they are requesting, example if someone had 5 passes including English subject but fail in math and science will it be a problem am confuse
August 24, 2016 at 04:07
Check the embassy website.
August 31, 2016 at 00:31
Hi Brit, If someone wrote waec senior high school certificate examinations as private candidate can this qualify him, since he did not attend senior high school. Please I need your advice
August 31, 2016 at 01:41
I don’t really know local standards like that.
September 1, 2016 at 09:25
Hi Brit, I am a Dv 2017 winner…well the date of birth on my passport is the same as that of my birth certificate but my high school certificate has 26th February instead of 6th February …so I went to my school and they gave me an introductory letter to be taken to WAEC but when I went they said I should swear an affidavit instead… Please what are my chances of being approved if I go for and affidavit in addition to the letter I had from my High School
September 1, 2016 at 14:04
I cannot guess your chances other than if it is Accra, the chances are risky.
September 8, 2016 at 13:22
I will be completing high school next year 2017 and receive my diploma in July 2017, can I still apply for the US green card lottery this year? The deadline is approaching and just wondering.
September 8, 2016 at 16:24
Yes you can. If selected, you will have completed your exams prior to the interviews could possibly take place.
September 10, 2016 at 21:09
Hi,
1. Is it necessary to complete the education from the same place of birth?
I competed my education from another country.
2. I completed high school and b.com
And now undergoing mba from India.
Am i eligible for Dv lottery?
September 10, 2016 at 21:46
1. No problem.
2. Yes
September 12, 2016 at 04:45
Hi Simon ,
Thank you for your excellent advice on this forum . I have a question regarding education which is that I have a masters degree from a recognized university in UK but i don’t A levels ( senior certificate) or a bachelors .
I gained entry in to the MBA through many years of management experience and references from industry leaders . will this suffice for entry in to the program?
pls clarify . Thank you.
September 12, 2016 at 05:04
THat is somewhat a gray area. Take all you education proof but also take work experience proof, just in case.
September 14, 2016 at 11:01
hi simon
I am studying 3 year diploma in pharmacy and i have written still studying in DS -260 what would happen if i cant pass my education?
September 14, 2016 at 13:27
You must meet the education standard required to be approved. However, you may have met that before you started your diploma – I don’t know, you need to check your education against your US embassy website.
September 15, 2016 at 01:10
Hi
I am a dv 2017 selectee and my case number is 2017OC 000011xx , I have been reading your blog and is loving it and very helpful and just a few things that I would like to ask you since you are the expert so that I may be well prepared as this is a once in a life time opportunity me..
I wrote and asked KCC requesting to unlock my DV 260 form to make some revisions and changes, is that ok?
2. How will I know they have unlock it?
3. How long will it take for my form to be unlocked?
4. My husband is still in overseas , and he will be there to help out his brother who got injured from rugby and is likely to spending more than six months there, does he need to provide police report from that particular country?
Please help me…
September 15, 2016 at 03:25
1. Yes that is OK.
2. They will send an email.
3. a few hours to a couple of weeks.
4. You need to read the instructions! For foreign countries the threshold for needing a police report is 1 year.
September 15, 2016 at 20:55
Thank you so much Simon
September 16, 2016 at 01:18
Hi, Simon, under Qualifying Education it says that “only formal courses of study meet the education requirements. Correspondence programs are not acceptable.” This is a bit confusing. My question is, which category does Open Universities fall into? I have a Bachelor of Arts from a major Australian university which I obtained through Open Universities Australia. OUA is a fully accredited formal course of study, but I did my degree online so technically it was by correspondence. Do I meet the education requirements? I did my degree as a mature age student (I did not complete year 12 back in the early 90’s). Surely I’m not disqualified simply because my degree wasn’t done on campus and I technically didn’t finish high school 25 years ago? That would be ridiculously unfair.
September 16, 2016 at 01:58
Technically, that is what it means. Some COs might decide to approve – many wouldn’t. So – I can’t say you will or won’t pass with that education. It is a risk – a pretty significant risk.
Do you meet the work experience criteria?
September 16, 2016 at 06:48
When i am filling my DS260 form, on my educational background part i have only filled my university education( B.A & M.A) and i forget to fill high school information, so will it have a problem? it there anyway to update DS260 FORM
September 16, 2016 at 13:59
You can unlock and correct it.
https://britsimonsays.com/faq/how-do-i-unlock-my-ds260/
September 16, 2016 at 19:24
Hello BritSimon. I am currently enrolled in a post-secondary education program in my country of origin. I have a notary-approved copy of my high school diploma in my posession (there original one is kept by the university in their archive).
Question #1: When asked “What is the highest level of education you have achieved, as of today?” should I select “high school diploma”, or “some university courses”?
Question #2: There’s no way for me to present the original HS diploma without dropping out. In that case, would there be any problems if I present the notary-approved copy of the original HS diploma, which I do have (Dated 2010)?
Question #3: If I should pick the “some university courses” option, what documents would I have to have, other than the HS diploma?
I plan to officially drop out once (or if) I am free to come to the United States. Right now, I am only “de jure” a student because this allows draft avoidance. If you don’t have an answer for any of the questions above, where would you recommend I try to find the answer(s)?
September 16, 2016 at 20:50
1. Either way – it doesn’t matter
2. If the paperwork is yours, you should be entitled to have it! Personally – I would want to attend the interview with the original and a copy. It’s your choice.
3. You need to qualify on your HS achievement so proving in progress studies is not a big deal.
September 18, 2016 at 09:27
hi britsimon. I want to ask you if high school student of grade 11 have acceptance in dv lottery entry
September 18, 2016 at 14:21
It depends on the standard required by the US embassy in that country. If grade 11 normally allows entry to University without further tests or studies, then yes.
September 20, 2016 at 12:22
Hi I m planning to apply dv lottery 2018. I have completed 12years high school from Nepal and then I went to Nursing school for 3 & half years with internship. Now I have nursing diploma from Indian nursing council & also I have 3.5 years work experience in hospital setting. Which job should I select for Indian staff nurse in DV lottery form? Do I qualify in both category or atleast one category? I m bit confused because there are lots of nurse jobs in job zone as per U.S. In India we don’t have any specific or specialise job position in hospital. We are all same but only differences is which area we are working like in ward, ICU,er, OT etc .You have clearly mentioned that either one or both is necessary. Can you help me out???
September 20, 2016 at 14:02
You will pass on education. I have said you do NOT need to qualify both ways.
September 20, 2016 at 15:29
Thank you Mr BritSimon. I hope I can fill up all essential information in DV lottery form on oct 4th. You are helpful. Thanks
September 26, 2016 at 13:57
Hi brit,i have just completed my bachelors in medicine and i cant work in US until i clear my USMLE steps.what kind of job zone do i fit in?
September 26, 2016 at 14:07
It doesn’t matter, you will qualify on education, so you don’t need to worry about job zone.
September 26, 2016 at 15:03
does that mean i need not provide them any proof regarding job offers during the interview?if i am not allowed to practice my job how can i earn a living after going there?do you think i should take up a job in research and provide that proof until i clear the USMLE steps or is it not necessary?
September 26, 2016 at 16:36
You need to use reply so I don’t have to search to find the previous conversation!
You do not have to show job offers at interview.
You can do any work you want – but of course professional bodies may take time, so you may need to do other work until you are approved. This has nothing to do with the immigration process.
September 26, 2016 at 19:40
If I did not complete high school but have since returned to a college which offers the exact same government qualification as high school, successfully completed the course and obtained my education certificate. Can I still apply for the DV lottery?
September 26, 2016 at 20:00
Some cases like that are refused, because the education wasn’t a formal and continuous education.
September 29, 2016 at 03:26
SLC pass people can apply EDV?
September 29, 2016 at 05:21
What is “SLC Pass”?
September 30, 2016 at 08:16
Hi Brit, i have a secondary and high school teacher’s diploma in History. I’ve been teaching history for the past 3years to secondary and high school students in my country. I don’t know if I fall under the qualifying job zone
September 30, 2016 at 13:13
Follow the steps in the article to search on O*Net
October 1, 2016 at 02:39
Hi, so I’m a Wholesale and retail buyer, which is in zone 3, am i not eligible for the green card lottery? However i completed high school, have a bachelor degree and have 10+ working experience.
(sorry about the duplicated reply above)
October 1, 2016 at 04:39
You only need education OR work experience. So you will pass on education!
October 1, 2016 at 03:41
Hi brit, I won the dv 2017 but have problem with my educational certificate. I sat for the high school certificate in the year 2007 and our school examinaition was cancel by weac so all the final year students has to repeat and write the exams but i couldn’t do the and I dropped out to study as an apprentice but now that I have won I register the weac in may and am writing the high school as private which is also organized by weac am asking if am able to get 5 or 6 passes will I qualify.
October 1, 2016 at 04:38
If you get the passes, yes you should.
October 2, 2016 at 19:26
thank you for your reply, but one more question. please what school should i write on my ds260 form, if i use my old school where my result was canceled wouldn’t be problem since there will be no school indicating on my private weac high school exams which i will take to the embassy. thank you
October 3, 2016 at 04:00
Use your best judgment.