The green card lottery, also known as the “diversity visa” program, aims to diversify the U.S. immigrant population by allotting 50,000 immigrant visas each year to citizens of countries that are underrepresented in the United States.
The program is handled by the U.S. Department of State. Applicants who are chosen are eligible to live and work in the United States permanently. Individuals can apply to become U.S. citizens after living in the United States for at least five years, or three years if married to a U.S. citizen. The visa was established in 1990. In 2017, 20 million people applied for the diversity visa, making the chance of admittance into the United States equal to 0.0025%. The visa allows people from small underrepresented countries such as Bangladesh, Albania, Jamaica and others the opportunity to come to the United States.
President Trump and the Republican Party have brought up this issue as a result of the recent terror attack in lower Manhattan that took place on October 31, 2017. This attack brutally killed eight people. The attacker drove a rental truck onto a bus lane. The attacker was an Uzbekistan national who won the Diversity Visa Lottery in 2010 and obtained a green card as a result.
President Trump and Republicans in Congress seek termination of the Diversity Visa Program. Trump striked the visa saying he’ll ask Congress, “to immediately initiate work to get rid of this program.” The Diversity Lottery occurs during this time of the year, in November. The deadline for applicants in November 22, 2017.
If you have any questions regarding the Diversity Visa and how it may affect you or someone you know, call the Malik Law Firm at (646) 470 6859. We have successfully represented several clients with their diversity visa filings.