Tell me more ×
Travel Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for road warriors and seasoned travelers. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 4 down vote favorite

I see some advertisement about something like Green card regularly. What does it mean? Is it a real lottery with prizes or just another spam in the web?
How can it be that a country just gives a chance to somebody to live there according to some lottery?

share|improve this question
Sorry, despite the answer I kinda think it is a bit off topic, so I tossed a close vote. I'm willing to have my mind changed though. – Ginamin Jul 20 '11 at 7:08
@Ginamin Well, I'm not angry about close vote. I'm don't sure myself, if this on- or off- topic. – VMAtm Jul 20 '11 at 7:27
1  
@hippietrail You are soooo envious. – VMAtm Jul 20 '11 at 7:52
2  
I didn't even realize it was you asking when I pointed to the meta discussion but that should also be helpful for others. Now if you had only put a bount of 556 on it I might have submitted an answer instead d-; – hippietrail Jul 20 '11 at 8:02
3  
Reasons to close: ① Not constructive: a simple Google search gives the immediate answer; see Wikipedia or the US Dept of State. ② Off-topic: easily discovered by searching. ③ Not a real question: nothing is really being asked here beyond "Can someone else Google this for me?" ④ Between mentioning an advertisement and the phrase "Green card lottery," it has a spammy feel. – Dori Jul 21 '11 at 4:55
show 5 more comments

closed as off topic by Ginamin, hippietrail, VMAtm, Kate Gregory, Dori Jul 21 '11 at 2:14

Questions on Travel Stack Exchange are expected to relate to traveling within the scope defined in the FAQ. Consider editing the question or leaving comments for improvement if you believe the question can be reworded to fit within the scope. Read more about closed questions here.

1 Answer

up vote 6 down vote accepted

Yes, it is a real thing. It is to encourage immigration from countries that have low immigration rates to the US. There are tens of thousands that are given each year. I want to say around 50,000. The idea is to increase the USA's diversity.

If you 'win' the lottery, you receive a 'Green Card' or permanent residency in the United States.

EDIT: True (via Hippietrail), you should be very careful. I believe Russia was on the list last year, but you must check that. Although Ukraine I know tops for number of lottery issues in Europe. Warnings about the program can be seen here.

The registration is here.

share|improve this answer
Any official information? Maybe website or apply rules? – VMAtm Jul 20 '11 at 7:27
3  
There are many borderline websites which offer to help you apply for a fee. They are close to being a scam and indulge in spammy practices but they seem to get away with it. Different countries have different allotments. 20 years ago at least it was very easy for Irish people to get them. I knew people that got them and didn't even bother using them. The numbers surely change every year. The last one was ruled invalid due to some computer glitch and re-drawn. – hippietrail Jul 20 '11 at 7:32
Edited with more information – Ginamin Jul 20 '11 at 9:31

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.