And, that is a very good thing! I saw this story as a tiny item in a small daily paper. If you have never heard of the Diversity Visa Lottery, you are in for a shock. Each year millions of people from around the world submit paperwork (with the help of companies and lawyers whose business it is to get them through the process) to enter the US State Department “lottery” in hopes of being one of 50,000 chosen each year to legally come to America—to add to our diversity!
Here, from Sky News, is the news about this year’s lottery gone awry:
For a few joyful days, more than 20,000 people around the world thought they had beaten the odds and won a lottery that gave them a chance to go and live legally in the United States.
On Friday, the State Department sent its regrets.
Computer problems had negated the lottery’s results, it said.
The exercise will have to be repeated and those announced as winners would have to wait it out with the previous losers.
The decision reopens competition for 50,000 wild-card visas for people who otherwise would have little hope of qualifying.
About 15 million had applied, so the bad news for 20,000 was very good news for many others who had thought they had lost.
The article profiles ‘Max’ a German (who could very well be a Turk) who is already in the US on another visa and tells of his initial joy and his ultimate disappointment at being chosen in the first 20,000 and then being told it was all a big mistake. Max hired a company involved in the worldwide immigration industry to get him through the process.
The Associated Press contacted Max through a German company that helps applicants navigate the thicket of paperwork for what is known around the world as the ‘ green card lottery’ . Most legal aliens in the United States are issued green cards as proof of their status.
For all the criticism of the US overseas, it remains the single most desirable place to immigrate, either legally or illegally. [Remember this the next time you hear the Leftists/Marxists complaining about America!]
Bill to end the lottery!
Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), again this year, introduced his bill to end the lottery, but an attempt to cut the program on HR 1 (the continuing budget resolution) was killed by House Republican leadership, here. One terror attack has already been committed by a “winner” of the lottery. See also the list of co-sponsors, there are a lot of good conservatives who are not co-sponsoring yet, but should get on this bill.
For an additional shock, check out the FY2011 “winners” here.
Cautionary note! Every time I hear someone say that legal immigration is great, but it’s illegal they wish to curtail, I shudder and I know they don’t know what the h*** they are talking about! So please stop saying that foolish tripe!
For new readers: Type ‘diversity visa lottery’ into our search function for more posts on the program.