Did you know that UK citizens cannot enter the immigration lottery for the USA? and that everyone else can!?

Question

This surprised me and many people I know.My husbands Grandfather was American ,as is his mother( applied retrospectively) .He has always wanted to live and work there.He applied to the embassy and had advice from a US lawyer.There is a lottery which is open to all nationalities and races in the world.if you are Irish you can stroll in ,no lottery needed.However ,if you are a british passport holder the answer is NO! you cant even get in the lottery.I was surprised that this is the case as the UK has given support from our armed forces in terms of lives and money and yet this discrimination exists.The reason given was that they need more diversity.What do you think of this ?

to njyogi...
no, Im not incorrect.my husband now lives and works in the Middle East and works with the british embassies of several countries so we are not uninformed.
The reason why Posh and Becks et al. can get in is because you need a million dollars or you need to say that you can set up a business to employ people(4+), you can also go if you get a job where the employer will sponsor you..
My issue is not that; its that EVERY other country and race can join the green card lottery(even Iraqis) but not the UK and considering that many british young servicemen and women are in Iraq and other places supporting the US and dying in the process this seems very ,very unfair.

ok more info: my brother has become a Us citizen so I fully understand the process and we no longer wish to live and work in the U.S -I feel that as the Irish are able to get their green card easily and they are racially caucasian then this cannot be to do with cultural/racial diversity.It must be political so this makes NO sense, I dont believe the irish are helping out in Iraq so why do they get special treatment?I take your point that now there may be more restrictions on other countries too, but how many of those countries are sending troops to Iraq ? I think its time for the Uk to reconsider the "special relationship" -I mean what does the UK get out of it apart from being hated around the world?

Answer 1

OK here's the deal. "The Green Card lottery," more properly known as the Diversity Visa Program exists to allow nationals of countries under-represented in US society to gain a visa. There are a mere 50,000 slots per year when total (legal) immigration is over 700,000. Because the aim is to increase diversity in US society, those countries which send a large number of immigrants by other means are denied entry. Most of western Europe is excluded and Northern Ireland has a separate program which allows a visa for, initially, three years. This came about as part of the Good Friday Agreement.

The simple fact is that the UK typically sends more legal immigrants to the USA in any given year than any other country. There will still never be enough visas to satisfy demand from the UK. In the context of the current rules, there is still a special relationship between our two countries. The rules habitually make it easier for someone with a British education to advance their career in the USA through further study than it would be for any other country. British qualifications are more widely accepted than those from other countries except, perhaps Canada.

Work based visas are hard to get but if that is really what you want, you should look into it. Start at the website below.

Good luck

Answer 2

Well I think thats bloody terrible! And no I didnt know that. And the reason they have given is appauling, are we Brits not diverse enough? I mean our society is multicultural enough for them to have a diverse selection of people there, just from this country.

Go to Canada, the people are much more friendly and far less arogant and its a points system to get in, as far as I know everyone is open to the same opportunity. Canada is now the land of opportunity, not America. I lived there for 4 years, back in blighty now, on the whole I prefer Britain, its more of a struggle money wise but you dont get the same social atmosphere any where else like you do here.

Answer 3

I did see a newspaper advert in a UK paper about 10 years ago inviting people to apply for a "Green Card" to live and work in The USA, applicants must not be British Nationals. I did think it was disrimination then and still think it is now, it somewhat makes you think about this "Special Friendship" we have with The USA.

Answer 4

You need to google "diversity visa" and read up on it. The diversity visa program is for under-represented countries to have a chance at immigration to the U.S. There are about 50K visas made available to people that cannot immigrate based on familial relationships or through employment. This is a very small number of immigrants each year. There are so many people from the United Kingdom that immigrate each year through their relationship to a U.S. Citizen or employer that they aren't part of the "lottery". There are many, many countries that are not part of the Diversity Visa program. The restriction is no soley to Brits.

Answer 5

Maybe it has something to do with British restrictions on Americans who want to live and work in the UK. I understand that being born in the UK does not automatically make you a UK citizen - in contrast to the way things are done in the USA.

Answer 6

The United Kingdom is not the only country that can't apply for a DV Immigrant Visa. The following nations are also not allowed to participate in the 2008 program because they sent more than 50,000 immigrants to the U.S. in the previous year.:

* Brazil
* Canada
* China (excluding Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan)
* Colombia
* Dominican Republic
* El Salvador
* Haiti
* India
* Jamaica
* Mexico
* Pakistan
* Peru
* Philippines
* Poland
* Russia
* South Korea
* United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories
* Vietnam

The purpose of the DV Immigrant Visa is to provide more diversity and opportunities to other nations who normally wouldn't emigrate to the U.S. Don't take it personal as the U.S. is trying to put quotas on the number of incoming immigrants from a nation who contributes heavily to the U.S.'s immigrant growth. They still can apply for immigrant status, but they will have to go through a lengthier process. That or you can move to Northern Ireland, take up residency there and you will qualify to apply through the 2008 DV Program.

Answer 7

the lottery was brought in by JFK in the 60's, that's why the Irish get the first shot. every time the o/o changes of who can apply for the green card. I didn't know why the UK can't apply, that is not right, but we all know that we have ****** as politician, so even with green cards they play games.

Answer 8

I think you must have received incorrect information about the American immigration law. I live in the US and I know many British people who live and work here. What about Posh and Becks, how did they swing it? Sounds like you are cheesed off about Tony Blair being Bush's buddy which I can understand, but that's a completely different issue.

Answer 9

Im shocked to be honest we are americas greatest allies in war zones and in peaceful activities. Il speak to Mr Bush senior this evening to get this investigated .Thanks

Answer 10

not aware of it, is very unfair. can it be applied to mexico cuba and south americans also??