The world is full of countries. There are officially 191 countries listed and recognized in the world, and there are more which are still being contested. While each country has its own language, its own culture and its own socio-economic features, they also derive different benefits from US immigration laws.  For example some countries can be beneficiary of DV lotteries, others E2 investor visas, or E3 visas.  Others suffer from issues such as backlog in the visa benefits (visa buleltin). Our law firm having worked with many of the countries worldwide have tried to analyze the benefits, setbacks, and issues related to some of the countries and region below. Note that in no way this is a comprehensive list, we will try to update it on a regular basis for our readers. If you need any help, feel free to call us at (510) 742 5887.

Reference: Visa Bulletin, State Department, and CIA FactBook

america-1313553

 

Country or
Region Name

Sym
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DV lottery

E Visas

Visa Bulletin

Category

Other Benefits

Possible Issues

Afghanistan

AF

 Yes  No  All other countries  Possible Asylum, and other benefits – see here  Extensive Background Check
Africa

Aland Islands

AX

 No  No  All other countries  Unknown  Unknown
Albania

AL

 Yes  E2 only  All  other countries  Unknown  Uknown
Algeria

DZ

 Yes  No  All Other Countries  Possible Asylum  Extensive Background Checks
American Samoa

AS

 N/A
Andorra

AD

Angola

AO

Anguilla

AI

Antarctica

AQ

Antigua & Barbuda

AG

Argentina

AR

Armenia

AM

Aruba

AW

Asia

Australia

AU

Austria

AT

Azerbaijan

AZ

Bahamas, The

BS

Bahrain

BH

Bangladesh

BD

Barbados

BB

Belarus

BY

Belgium

BE

Belize

BZ

Benin

BJ

Bermuda

BM

Bhutan

BT

Bolivia

BO

Bonaire, St.Eustat, Saba

BQ

Bosnia and Herzegovina

BA

Botswana

BW

Bouvet Island

BV

Brazil

BR

British Indian Ocean T.

IO

British Virgin Islands

VG

Brunei Darussalam

BN

Bulgaria

BG

Burkina Faso

BF

Burundi

BI

Cabo Verde

CV

Cambodia

KH

Cameroon

CM

Canada

CA

Caribbean, the

Cayman Islands

KY

Central African Republic

CF

Central America

Chad

TD

Chile

CL

China

CN

Christmas Island

CX

Cocos (Keeling) Islands

CC

Colombia

CO

Comoros

KM

Congo

CG

Congo, Dem. Rep. of the

CD

Cook Islands

CK

Costa Rica

CR

Cote D’Ivoire

CI

Croatia

HR

Cuba

CU

Curaçao

CW

Cyprus

CY

Czech Republic

CZ

 

Country or
Region Name

Sym
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DV Lottery

E Visa

Visa Bulletin Category

Other Benefits

Possible Issues

Denmark  DK
Djibouti  DJ
Dominica  DM
Dominican Republic

DO

East Timor (Timor-Leste)

TP

Ecuador

EC

Egypt

EG

El Salvador

SV

Equatorial Guinea

GQ

Eritrea

ER

Estonia

EE

Ethiopia

ET

Europe

European Union

EU

Falkland Is. (Malvinas)

FK

Faroe Islands

FO

Fiji

FJ

Finland

FI

France

FR

French Guiana

GF

French Polynesia

PF

French Southern Terr.

TF

Gabon

GA

Gambia, the

GM

Georgia

GE

Germany

DE

Ghana

GH

Gibraltar

GI

Greece

GR

Greenland

GL

Grenada

GD

Guadeloupe

GP

Guam

GU

Guatemala

GT

Guernsey and Alderney

GG

Guiana, French

GF

Guinea

GN

Guinea-Bissau

GW

Guinea, Equatorial

GP

Guyana

GY

Haiti

HT

Heard & McDonald Is.

HM

Holy See (Vatican)

VA

Honduras

HN

Hong Kong, (China)

HK

Hungary

HU

Iceland

IS

India

IN

 No  No  India Category  EB5, H1B, L1 and other visas available  Possible Asylum, delay in processing
Indonesia

ID

Iran, Islamic Republic of

IR

Iraq

IQ

Ireland

IE

Israel

IL

Italy

IT

Ivory Coast (Cote d’Ivoire)

CI

Jamaica

JM

Japan

JP

Jersey

JE

Jordan

JO

 Yes  Yes  All Other countries Category  L1A, EB5, Possible Asylum  Delay in background check

 

Country or
Region Name

Sym
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DV Lottery

E visas

Visa Bulletin Category

Other Benefits

Possible Issues

Kazakhstan

KZ

Kenya

KE

Kiribati

KI

Korea Dem. People’s Rep.

KP

Korea, (South) Republic of

KR

Kosovo

KV

Kuwait

KW

Kyrgyzstan

KG

Lao People’s Dem. Rep.

LA

Latvia

LV

Lebanon

LB

Lesotho

LS

Liberia

LR

Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

LY

Liechtenstein

LI

Lithuania

LT

Luxembourg

LU

Macao, (China)

MO

Macedonia, TFYR

MK

Madagascar

MG

Malawi

MW

Malaysia

MY

Maldives

MV

Mali

ML

Malta

MT

Man, Isle of

IM

Marshall Islands

MH

Martinique (FR)

MQ

Mauritania

MR

Mauritius

MU

Mayotte (FR)

YT

Mexico

MX

Micronesia, Fed. States of

FM

Middle East

Moldova, Republic of

MD

Monaco

MC

Mongolia

MN

Montenegro

CS

Montserrat

MS

Morocco

MA

Mozambique

MZ

Myanmar (ex-Burma)

MM

Namibia

NA

Nauru

NR

Nepal

NP

Netherlands

NL

Netherlands Antilles

AN

New Caledonia

NC

New Zealand

NZ

Nicaragua

NI

Niger

NE

Nigeria

NG

Niue

NU

Norfolk Island

NF

North America

Northern Mariana Islands

MP

Norway

NO

Oceania

Oman

OM

Pakistan

PK

Palau

PW

Palestinian Territory

PS

Panama

PA

Papua New Guinea

PG

Paraguay

PY

Peru

PE

Philippines

PH

Pitcairn Island

PN

Poland

PL

Portugal

PT

Puerto Rico

PR

 

Country or
Region Name

Sym
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DV Lottery

E Visas

Visa Bulletin

Categroy

Other Benefits

Possible Issues

Qatar
Reunion (FR)
Romania
Russia (Russian Fed.)
Rwanda
Sahara, Western
Saint Barthelemy (FR)
Saint Helena (UK)
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Martin (FR)
S Pierre & Miquelon(FR)
S Vincent & Grenadines
Samoa

WS

San Marino

SM

Sao Tome and Principe

ST

Saudi Arabia

SA

Senegal

SN

Serbia

RS

Seychelles

SC

Sierra Leone

SL

Singapore

SG

Slovakia

SK

Slovenia

SI

Solomon Islands

SB

Somalia

SO

South Africa

ZA

South America

S.George & S.Sandwich

GS

South Sudan

SS

Spain

ES

Sri Lanka (ex-Ceilan)

LK

Sudan

SD

Suriname

SR

Svalbard & Jan Mayen Is.

SJ

Swaziland

SZ

Sweden

SE

Switzerland

CH

Syrian Arab Republic

SY

Taiwan

TW

Tajikistan

TJ

Tanzania, United Rep. of

TZ

Thailand

TH

Timor-Leste (East Timor)

TP

Togo

TG

Tokelau

TK

Tonga

TO

Trinidad & Tobago

TT

Tunisia

TN

Turkey

TR

Turkmenistan

TM

Turks and Caicos Is.

TC

Tuvalu

TV

Uganda

UG

Ukraine

UA

United Arab Emirates

AE

United Kingdom

UK

United States

US

US Minor Outlying Isl.

UM

Uruguay

UY

Uzbekistan

UZ

Vanuatu

VU

Vatican (Holy See)

VA

Venezuela

VE

Viet Nam

VN

Virgin Islands, British

VG

Virgin Islands, U.S.

VI

Wallis and Futuna

WF

Western Sahara

EH

Yemen

YE

Zambia

ZM

Zimbabwe

ZW