No. There is no US construction visa lottery and no skilled-trades visa lottery. It does not exist. Anyone who offers to enter you into one, guarantees you a visa or green card, or asks you to pay money upfront to "secure" a job or sponsorship is running a scam. Real employer sponsorship starts with a real job at a named company, never with a fee to a middleman. This is one of the most common frauds aimed at tradespeople who want to work in America, so it is worth knowing exactly how it works.
There is no construction visa lottery
Let us be blunt, because this is where a lot of money gets stolen. There is no special draw, program, or lottery for construction workers or skilled trades. The routes into the US for a tradesperson are employer sponsorship (EB-3), the seasonal H-2B visa, family sponsorship, and a small number of others. None of them is a lottery you buy your way into.
The only actual visa lottery the US runs is the Diversity Visa lottery, and it is not a trade program.
What the Diversity Visa lottery is, and is not
The Diversity Visa (DV) lottery does exist, but do not mistake it for a work plan:
- It has nothing to do with your trade. It does not care whether you are an electrician or an accountant.
- It is free to enter, once a year, only at the official government site dvprogram.state.gov. If someone charges you to enter, that is the scam.
- It is limited by country of birth. As of 2026, India and China are not eligible, because they have sent more than 50,000 immigrants to the US over the previous five years. UK eligibility has flipped between cycles, so you have to check the current year's list. People born in Northern Ireland may be able to charge to the Republic of Ireland and can be eligible even in a year the rest of the UK is not.
- Being selected does not mean you get a visa. It only puts you into the interview process, and many selectees never receive a visa.
So the DV lottery is a long shot, unrelated to your skills, and never something to pay for. Verify the current year's rules and eligible-country list at travel.state.gov, because they change annually.
The notario trap: this is the big one
In many countries, especially across Latin America, a "notario publico" is a highly trained lawyer with real legal authority. In the US, a notary public is not a lawyer. A US notary just witnesses signatures. They cannot give legal advice and cannot represent you before immigration authorities.
Predatory operators exploit that confusion on purpose. They call themselves "notarios" or "immigration consultants," present themselves as experts, take your money, and then:
- Charge you for government forms that are free. Every USCIS form is free to download at uscis.gov.
- File paperwork you do not qualify for, or file it wrong, or miss deadlines.
- Damage your case in ways that are hard or impossible to undo, including filings that can put you at risk of removal.
Only two kinds of people can legally give you US immigration advice:
- A licensed attorney (verify membership of the American Immigration Lawyers Association at aila.org), or
- A DOJ/EOIR-recognized accredited representative working at a nonprofit organization that the Department of Justice has recognized. These are often free or low-cost.
If someone is neither of those, they cannot legally advise you on your case, no matter what their sign says.
Red flags that mean "walk away"
Treat any of these as a scam signal:
- A guaranteed visa or green card. No honest attorney or agency can guarantee an outcome. The government decides.
- Pay upfront to "secure" a job or sponsorship, or fees called "processing," "visa arrangement," "registration," or "document" fees.
- An unsolicited offer that arrives from a stranger over WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, or email.
- Payment by wire transfer, gift card, cryptocurrency, or Western Union. Legitimate processes do not work this way.
- Being charged for free USCIS forms.
- An "employer" you cannot verify in the state's business registry (the Secretary of State database).
- A wage far above the market rate with no plausible explanation, dangled to reel you in.
- Being asked for your passport or money before any official USCIS paperwork exists.
- An email saying you "won" a visa. You cannot win a visa before a consular interview. It is impossible, so the email is fake.
What a legitimate path looks like
Real sponsorship is boring and verifiable. A genuine offer comes on company letterhead with a specific job title and duties, a wage at or above the government's prevailing wage, and an employer who explains the process and confirms in writing that they bear the sponsorship (PERM) costs. By federal law the worker cannot be made to pay PERM costs, so being asked to pay for it is both illegal for the employer and a clear warning sign. You can independently verify the company in the state Secretary of State registry, and their attorney should be a real, checkable AILA member.
Where to get honest help cheaply
You do not have to choose between an expensive lawyer and a dangerous notario. There is a middle:
- AILA lawyer referral at aila.org, to find a licensed immigration attorney. A reputable one charges for their time but will never charge you to "guarantee" a result.
- DOJ/EOIR-recognized nonprofits. The Department of Justice keeps a public list of recognized organizations and accredited representatives who can help, often for free or low cost.
- uscis.gov/avoid-scams and consumer.ftc.gov for plain-language warnings and free forms.
If you have been targeted, report it: the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov, and the USCIS tip form at uscis.gov. Reporting protects the next person too.
Common questions
Is there a special visa lottery for construction or skilled trades?
No. There is no construction visa lottery and no skilled-trades visa lottery. It does not exist. The only US visa lottery is the Diversity Visa lottery, which has nothing to do with your trade, is free to enter at dvprogram.state.gov, is limited by country of birth, and does not guarantee a visa even if you are selected. Anyone selling you a "construction visa lottery" place is running a scam. Verify at travel.state.gov.
Someone offered me a guaranteed US work visa for a fee. Is it real?
No. No honest attorney, agency, or employer can guarantee a visa, because the government decides the outcome, not them. A guaranteed visa, an upfront fee to "secure" a job or sponsorship, payment by gift card or crypto, or an unsolicited offer from a stranger online are all scam signals. Real sponsorship starts with a verifiable job at a named company. Report fraud at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and uscis.gov, and talk to a licensed immigration attorney.
Is a "notario" the same as a lawyer in the US?
No. In the US a notary public is not a lawyer and cannot give legal advice or represent you in an immigration case. In many countries a "notario publico" is a qualified lawyer, and scammers exploit that confusion. Only a licensed attorney or a DOJ/EOIR-recognized accredited representative at a recognized nonprofit can legally advise you. Anyone else calling themselves a "notario" or "immigration consultant" cannot, whatever their sign says.
Can an employer make me pay the sponsorship costs?
No. By federal law the employer must bear the costs of the PERM labor certification that starts a green card sponsorship. A worker cannot legally be made to pay them. So if an "employer" or recruiter asks you to pay to be sponsored, or to cover "processing" or "visa arrangement" fees, treat it as a scam and walk away. For the seasonal H-2B visa too, workers must not be charged recruitment fees. Report it at uscis.gov.
Where can I get honest immigration help without getting ripped off?
Use a licensed attorney through the American Immigration Lawyers Association at aila.org, or a DOJ/EOIR-recognized nonprofit, which the Department of Justice lists publicly and which are often free or low-cost. Both can legally advise you. A reputable attorney will charge for their time but never charge to "guarantee" a visa. Avoid anyone calling themselves a notario or consultant who is neither a lawyer nor an accredited representative.
The honest bit
- This is general information about avoiding fraud, not legal advice. Your actual case belongs with a licensed US immigration attorney (aila.org) or a DOJ/EOIR-recognized accredited nonprofit, never a notario or unlicensed consultant, who by definition cannot legally advise you.
- Government forms are always free at uscis.gov. Paying someone just to hand you a free form is a red flag on its own.
- The Diversity Visa rules and eligible-country list change every year. Verify the current year at travel.state.gov before doing anything, and never pay to enter.
- Immigration policy shifts with each administration. Verify current programs and rules at uscis.gov, and report suspected fraud at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, ic3.gov, and the USCIS tip form.
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Keep reading
Templates you might need
Sources
- USCIS - Green Card Through the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program · The Diversity Visa is the only immigration lottery the United States runs, entry is free, and there is no construction-specific lottery of any kind
- US Department of Labor - Prevailing Wage Information and Resources · How to check that a job offer's wage is at or above the prevailing wage for that occupation and area, which a fake offer usually is not
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