What is a green card lottery?

A green card lottery is a program administered by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). It is designed to bring diversity into the American workforce and give immigrants from underrepresented countries a chance to become U.S. citizens. Through the program, individuals from certain countries who meet a few basic qualifications can apply to become permanent residents of the United States. The green card lottery is also referred to as the Diversity Immigrant Visa program. Each year a certain number of immigrant visas are made available in a “lottery” system. This means that people from countries with low immigration levels into the United States can apply. In order to be eligible, applicants must meet certain educational requirements, have a valid passport, and must pass a background check. South Carolina has an annual cap on the number of immigrants who can become permanent residents of the United States through the diversity visa program. This cap is currently set at 6,100 immigrants per year. While many immigrants are successful in obtaining a green card, it can be a competitive process and selection is not guaranteed. Those who are successful will be able to start a new life in the United States with the opportunity to pursue the American dream.

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La Lotería de Green Card es un programa ofrecido por el gobierno de los Estados Unidos cada año que ofrece a los ciudadanos extranjeros la oportunidad de convertirse en residentes legales permanentes. Los solicitantes son seleccionados al azar de un grupo de personas elegibles provenientes de países con tasas bajas de inmigración a EE. UU. Estas personas son elegibles para recibir una tarjeta verde llamada Green Card. Usualmente los solicitantes deben cumplir con los requisitos necesarios para ser elegibles para la lotería, como tener un título de educación, experiencia o habilidades laborales específicas, además de tener una relación de pariente cercano con alguien que ya sea un ciudadano estadounidense. Esto significa que el proceso es muy competitivo, con aproximadamente 3 millones de solicitantes para 50,000 Green Cards disponibles. A pesar de esto, siguen siendo muchas las personas que intentan ingresar a EE. UU. a través de la Lotería de Green Card cada año.

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What is a green card lottery?

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