Canada does not have an immigration lottery like the United States. The United States has a program called the Diversity Visa that allows people to obtain Green Cards.
Canada does not have a diversity visa, but it does have several programs that offer drawings every week, allowing people to obtain permanent residence, comparable to the US Green Card.
Does Canada Have A Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery Like The USA?
No, Canada does not offer a designated Canada immigration lottery. Some sites will advertise that it does. These can be deceptive and some may be scams.
However, that does not mean that you cannot immigrate to Canada. Canada offers more than 60 immigration options.
This means that there are many options available to prospective immigrants. If you are interested in an immigration lottery, check out the US Diversity Visa.
Is Canada Express Entry an immigration lottery?
Although the Express Entry system uses point systems and regular draws, it is not a lottery, but rather a merit-based system. The Express Entry stream is intended to reduce the hassle of applying for immigration.
You’ll complete an application to join the Express Entry pool and receive a CRS score based on your answers. Periodically, Canadian immigration holds an Express Entry lottery.
This process selects candidates who exceed a certain CRS score. If you are selected, you will have 60 days to apply for immigration.
If you are not selected, you remain in the group. In addition to the main express entry, many of the provinces will use your express entry profile to check if you are eligible to immigrate to that province.
Disclaimer: Canada does not offer an immigration lottery. Only the United States has an immigration lottery.
Parent and Grandparent Lottery
The Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Program has been a popular route for foreign nationals through Canadian immigration. Due to the influx of applicants at each reopening of the program, the government decided to turn the program into a lottery.
This lottery will only be open for 3 weeks so those interested will need to act fast!