Jobs That Qualify For DV Lottery
Each year, the U.S. government runs the Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery, giving people from eligible countries a chance to live and work permanently in the United States. But not everyone can qualify just by applying. One key requirement, beyond being from an eligible country, is either education or work experience.
Let’s break down how your job or career background might make you eligible.
1. The Two Paths to Qualification
To enter the DV Lottery, you must meet one of these two conditions:
Option 1: Education
You must have completed at least a high school education or its equivalent - the successful completion of a formal 12-year course of elementary and secondary education.
Option 2: Work Experience
If you don’t meet the education requirement, you can still qualify through your job experience, but not just any job will do.
2. Understanding the Work Experience Rule
The U.S. Department of State looks at your past five years of work history. You qualify if:
You have at least two years of experience in a job that required at least two years of training or experience to perform.
The job is classified as Job Zone 4 or Job Zone 5 in the O*NET Online database.
It has a Specific Vocational Preparation (SVP) rating of 7.0 or higher.
You can verify this by visiting onetonline.org
and searching your job title.
3. Examples of Jobs That Usually Qualify
Here are examples of occupations that typically meet DV work-experience standards:
Software Engineers and Computer Programmers
Architects
Accountants and Auditors
Medical Technologists
Civil and Electrical Engineers
Air Traffic Controllers
Management Analysts
Chemists and Pharmacists
Airline Pilots
On the other hand, most entry-level, service, or clerical jobs—like drivers, waiters, cashiers, or security guards—usually do not qualify because they require less than two years of formal training.
4. How to Check If Your Job Qualifies
Go to onetonline.org
Type your job title (for example, “Mechanical Engineer”)
Look for:
Job Zone 4 or 5
SVP Range is higher that 7.0
If your job fits both, you meet the DV Lottery work experience requirement.
5. Final Tips Before Applying
Even if your job qualifies, you must be able to prove your work experience with documents,such as employment letters, contracts, or certificates.
Keep in mind that your country of birth, not residence, determines eligibility.
Always check the official instructions at travel.state.gov
before applying, since requirements can change slightly each year.