I was looking for something else and came across this information page at the Immigration Policy Center (IPC) a pro-open borders organization. (Have a look at IPC’s background here at Discover the Networks.)
We have from time to time over the years touched upon this legal immigration program called the Diversity Visa Lottery or Greencard Lottery and I plan to be writing about it more often. For some of you I know it’s hard to believe that we have a lottery so that we can collect greater diversity from around the world.
Here is what the Immigration Policy Center says in its fact sheet about the lottery.
The diversity visa lottery was created to encourage legal immigration to the U.S. from countries other than the major immigrant sending countries. The current immigration system favors individuals who have close relationships with family members or employers in the U.S. People who do not have close family or employment in the U.S. have very few opportunities for permanent, legal immigration to the U.S.
The diversity immigrant category was created by the Immigration Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-649) to stimulate “new seed” immigration from parts of the world that are under-represented in the U.S. The Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act of 1997 (NACARA) temporarily reduced the 55,000 annual ceiling by up to 5,000 annually to offset immigrant visa numbers for certain NACARA beneficiaries. As of now, the diversity visa ceiling is still set at 50,000, and it is unclear how many more years the offset will continue.
The diversity lottery makes visas available each year to natives of countries with fewer than 50,000 total immigrant admissions over the preceding five years. Natives of Mexico, India, China, and other countries that send large numbers of immigrants to the U.S. are not eligible.
[…..]
Each year, diversity visa winners make up about 4% of all LPR admissions. In 2009, there were 47,879 green cards issued to diversity visa winners. Of those, 26,243 were principal applicants, 10,157 were spouses of principal applicants, and 11,479 were their children. The vast majority were new arrivals to the U.S. (46,602 vs. 1,277 adjustments of status for immigrants already in the U.S.). [This last part means that someone already in the US with another visa program or I suppose illegally in the US as well, can apply—ed]
This is what they say about the 2010 batch of “seeds:”
The single largest number of visas went to Ethiopia (3,987 visas), followed by Egypt (3,447), Uzbekistan (3,279), Nigeria (2,937), Bangladesh (2,800), and Kenya (2,279). [I’ll bet you the majority of those are Muslims—ed]
Readers: I’m adding a new category today—Diversity Visa Lottery. But, for more that we have previously written on the topic over the last five years, type in ‘diversity visa’ and you’ll find a bunch of older posts.
Note to all of you who say, “I’m o.k. with LEGAL immigration, it’s illegal that I have problems with.” So is this program which brings in 50,000 a year O.K too?