On Tuesday, May 7, the results of the 2020 green card lottery (open from October 3, 2018, to November 6, 2018) will be available. To find out if you have been selected for the Diversity Visa, as it’s officially called, you’ll need to log on starting at noon New York time (EDT) to the lottery site, managed by the Department of State. Beware of scams: the State Department’s website is the only place where results can be found.

To connect, you’ll need to have the confirmation number given when your file was submitted on the lottery site. You will be notified of your status by email or letter regardless of if you were accepted or not. More than 100,000 people are selected through the lottery, but only about 50,000 get the famous green card, synonymous with permanent residence. This large gap can be explained in particular by the many candidates who abandon the process and the delays in processing applications by the administration. The results will be available until September 30, 2020.