Diversity Visa Lottery Welcomes Non-Mexican Immigrants

The United States admits around 50,000 new immigrants per year through the Diversity Visa Lottery program.

The program was established in 1990 to diversify the pool of immigrants entering the United States. I actually cannot imagine a legislation like this passing today, and that just tells us how we have lost so much ground in the battle for immigrant rights. The DV-program now serves a PR function: the United States welcomes immigrants from all over the world (unless they are Mexicans and asylum seekers).

Since the DV lottery is only open to countries who send less than 50,000 immigrants to the United States per year, you can guess that foreign nationals from Mexico, China, and India are not eligible. In other words, we don’t need to be over-run with immigrants from those countries but keep their numbers at tolerable levels.

If you are undocumented in the United States, you are probably not eligible unless you have grandfathered status under the law, which means a family or employer petition was filed on your behalf before April 31, 2001 AND you were present in the country before December 21, 2000.

Participation in the lottery is free so participants should beware of fraudulent sites offering to increase the chances of winning at a nominal fee. All applications should be filed here.

Applications will be accepted till Wednesday, November 3, 2010 so everyone hoping to experience the many freedoms that Americans enjoy, including the right to hate other immigrants, should send in an application. It is free after all, and few things come free in the United States.

Photo Credit: Untitled blue