Is the Green Card Lottery an offense?

Question

It is virtually impossible to be granted a visa for the US unless you have a family member here. It is a country with very restrictive rules. Yet, the green card lottery allows 50000 new immigrants per year. There is no consideration on need or family status or even education. Get your name picked and you go in. Isn't it humiliating for all hard working immigrants who want to come and live in the US to be subjected to a random selection by a computer?

dognhorsemom: very nice answer
I should clarify I am referring to the process BEFORE the interview. When 100000 are selected and not the interview which sorts out the "bad" 50%

Answer 1

no

Answer 2

You mention "need": what about all the refugees we admit every year? "Family status?" The US goes way overboard in favoring family members.

The DV lottery was invented in order to introduce a little variety and diversity into the immigration system, which IS almost entirely family, employment and refugee based. I have issued these visas to people who are exactly as you describe: honest, hard-working folks who want to do well in the US and will make great American citizens. Did any of them feel humiliated? They did not appear to; they were extremely happy.

And by the way, there is indeed an education requirement.

Answer 3

Actually, a cheif complaint with the immigration system is that family visas can be impossible. People have waited twenty years for them, and still continue to wait. I see the frustration, but you also have to remember how many people want to come here. LOTS. We have to exercise population control or we'll all be flooding YOUR country because ours will be overcrowded and third world.

Answer 4

Maybe the right answer is to just cancel US immigration for about 10 years. Build the borders, enforce the existing laws, and admit NO one until it's done. 'Hard working immigrants' and other BS stories are just that, BS, if they're so 'hard working' they need to fix their own countries. It's really that simple.

Answer 5

The US can only absorb so many people per year,while I'm sure there is a better way to do things the rules are the rules as they say,until someone changes them anybody wishing to come to US is just going to have to accept it. And trust me,you need to do a little research,we actually have pretty lenient immigration laws compared with many countries,with a few obvious exceptions, ie Canada.Do you think for example that Germany,France,England, Ireland,Italy,etc print voting ballots in 27 languages in any precinct? Well think again,you become a citizen of their country your going to have to vote in their language,but the US will not only let you become a citizen without learning the language we'll print the ballot in the language of your choice,I'd say that's pretty damn lenient. Of course by law you're supposed to learn english to become a citizen but anyone who has ever voted in San Antonio can tell you they're obviously not enforcing that one. And as for sheer numbers as I said we can only take so many,5% of our native population is unemployed,a number by "coincidence" that just happens to fit nicely with the number of illegal aliens in the US and we're supposed to take more,to do what? I fully understand anyones desire to come here, for me the idea that someone would want to leave their current cesspool and come here falls into the DUH!! category, but we aren't going to remain much of a beacon for the world if we destroy our own economy with too much generosity.

Answer 6

i have checked with the US immigration dept. The green card lottery is a scam.

Answer 7

No, but the ads are. I know that USA very dearly wants me there to work, but no thanks. Maybe we should put up ads that only pop up to Americans that say "Move away from USA, Find happiness and Freedom!"

Answer 8

valid point