И раз уж об этом зашла речь, вот что говорится про образование в госдеповской инструкции:
https://fam.state.gov/fam/09FAM/09FAM050206.htmlForeign Affairs Manual (FAM)
9 FAM 502.6 (U) Diversity Immigrant Visas
c. (U) High School Education or Equivalent:
(1) (U) You must adjudicate the applicant’s qualifications under this requirement. In order to enter or apply for a visa under the DV program, the alien need not prove that this requirement is met. The applicant must, however, meet this requirement by the end of the fiscal year in which selected and present evidence of completion to the satisfaction of the consular officer. If the applicant does not meet the requirement at the time of the visa interview, you should refuse the case under INA 212 (a)(5)(A). If the applicant presents evidence of completion of high school before the end of the fiscal year, and visas are still available for the region, you may overcome the refusal.Т.е. образование должно быть получено на конец финансового года, в котором выдаются визы. Если документ об образовании не представлен на интервью, то следует отказ, но если заявитель представит документы об образовании до конца года и визы все еще доступны, то отказ может быть пересмотрен.
(2) (U) “At Least a High School Education or its Equivalent” Means Successful Completion of at least a:
(a) (U) Twelve-year course of elementary and secondary study in the United States; or
(b) (U) Formal course of elementary and secondary education comparable to completion of 12 years of elementary and secondary education in the United States. Because a United States high school education is sufficient in itself to qualify a student to apply for college admission, in order for a foreign education to be equivalent to a United States education, it should be sufficient to allow a student to apply for college admission without further education. Vocational degrees that are not considered a basis for further academic study will not be considered equivalent to United States high school education.Полученное образование считается эквивалентом 12-летнего американского среднего образования, если оно само по себе позволяет поступить в ВУЗ. Важно для тех, у кого есть только 8 классов + ПТУ или техникум. И насколько я знаю, на интервью в таких случаях кроме самого диплома могут смотреть вкладыш с перечнем предметов. В дипломах старого образца (до 1997 года) это машинописный лист с оценками.
(3) (U) Education Requirements: “At least a high school education or its equivalent” in this context applies only to formal courses of study. Equivalency certificates (such as the G.E.D.) are not acceptable. To qualify, an alien must have completed a 12-year course of elementary and secondary education in the United States or a comparable course of study in another country. Evidence might consist of a certificate of completion equivalent to a United States diploma, school transcripts, or other evidence issued by the person or organization responsible for maintaining such records, which specify the completed course of study.Среднее образование, полученное заочно или экстерном, не считается (даже если такой диплом позволяет поступить в ВУЗ). Человек должен прослушать полный курс средней школы или эквивалент. Остается неясным, правда, вопрос о том, считается ли достаточным заочное образование выше среднего. Т.е. если у человека только заочный школьный диплом и больше ничего - этого недостаточно, а вот если заочно школа + очно или заочно ВУЗ - то тут уже вопрос.
(4) (U) Education Evaluation:
(U) The burden of proving that an applicant's education is equivalent to a high school degree is entirely on the applicant. If the applicant does not satisfy you that the applicant's education is equivalent to a high school degree but you believe additional evidence could meet the applicant's burden, you should refuse the applicant under 221(g) and request the applicant to provide additional information. If the applicant is unable to credibly prove the education equivalency requirement to your satisfaction, you should refuse the applicant 5A.Если на интервью не представлены какие-то документы, которые по факту у заявителя есть (или могут быть получены), то их можно представить позднее. Главное, успеть до конца финансового года и чтобы до этого момента были доступны визы для страны подачи.
d. (U) Work Experience:
(1) (U) No Labor Certification: The labor certification requirement of INA 212(a)(5) does not apply to applicants applying as DV immigrants. Applicants, however, who do not meet the education requirement, must meet the work experience requirement of two years of experience in an occupation which requires at least two years training or experience within the five-year period immediately prior to application, or be able to meet the requirement prior to the end of the fiscal year in which the applicant was selected. If the applicant does not meet this requirement at the time of the interview, you should refuse the case 5A. If the requirement is met before the end of the fiscal year and visas are still available for the region, you may overcome the refusal.
(2) (U) Work Experience Evaluation: If an applicant does not have the equivalent of a high school education, you must evaluate their work experience. You must use the Department of Labor’s O*Net OnLine database to determine qualifying work experience (see paragraph (3) below.) All applicants qualifying for a DV on the basis of their work experience must, within the past five years, have two years of experience in an occupation that is classified in a Specific Vocational Preparation (SVP) range of 7.0 or higher.Если нет нужного уровня образования, то заявитель в течение 5 лет, предшествующих интервью, должен иметь не менее двух лет опыта работы по специальности, требующей как минимум 2 лет обучения.
Соответствие работы установленному требованию проверяется по базе департамента труда O*Net online:
https://www.onetonline.org/ Опыт работы должен соответствовать специальности, для которой в этой базе указано SVP range 7 или выше. Например, для парикмахеров:
https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/39-5012.00 (смотреть внизу странице в разделе Job Zone) - SVP Range (6.0 to < 7.0), т.е. недостаточно. А вот "специалист по делопроизводству":
https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/15-1199.12 - SVP Range (7.0 to < 8.0), т.е. с таким опытом можно получить визу, даже не имея среднего образования.
Еще раз, требование к опыту предъявляется только тем, у кого недостаточный уровень образования. Если есть среднее образование, то доказательства опыта не нужны.
(a) (U) You must be satisfied that the applicant has met the work experience requirement. You may request that the applicant provide evidence that addresses this requirement; for example, letters from trainers or employers giving the name, address, and title of the trainer or employer, as well as a description of the training or experience of the applicant; resumes, examples of previous work product, etc. Требуются документальные подтверждения опыта работы, например, письма от работодателя с описанием выполняемых обязанностей.
(3) (U) Using O*Net Online to Determine Work Experience:
(a) (U) Instructions for Determining the Applicant's Specific Vocational Preparation (SVP) Rating:
(i) (U) Log on to the Department of Labor’s O*Net OnLine website;
(ii) (U) Click on the “Find Occupations” link;
(iii) (U) On the “Find Occupations” screen, enter occupational title, such as, “mason, “painter,” “hairdresser,” etc., and click on the “Go” button. A search results page appears with a list of various occupation titles that relate to whatever job title was entered. Click on the link in the “Occupation” column for the title that seems appropriate for the DV applicant's job experience;
(iv) (U) A brief description for the job title will appear followed by more detailed data covering the following areas: tasks, knowledge, skills, abilities, work activities, work context, job zone, interests, work values, related occupations, and wages and employment.
(b) (U) What SVP Range Qualifies an Applicant's Job Experience for the DV Program? The O*Net Online database groups job experience into five "job zones." Zone 4 includes all occupations for which more than two years' experience on the job is required. An occupation in Job Zone 4 has an SVP range of 7.0 to < 8.0 (7.0 to less than 8.0) and will qualify an applicant for the DV program. Thus, all applicants qualifying for a DV on the basis of their work experience must, within the past five years, have two years of experience in an occupation that is classified in a SVP range of 7.0 or higher (i.e., an occupation in Job Zone 4).Ну и о том, как искать в этой базе данных, переводить лень, но там и так все понятно.