Green Cards for America

Kaz88

Hi All

Just on the US Department of state website (https://www.dvlottery.state.gov/) having a look around and have a few questions maybe someone can help me with.
I am beginging the process of looking into making a move to America at some stage for maybe a year to work.
At the minute I work in IT but I am looking for a change and am thinking of making the big jump but the website mentioned above is saying that the ballot for 2012 AND 2013 is already complete - does that mean that when Oct/November comes around again that the visas would be granted for 2014??
Anyone with some help would be great thanks

BuffyBot

Yes, the next round will be for the 2014 allocation

Kaz88

Thanks BuffyBot

Cant believe there is that much of a wait

Do you know is Canada as long of a wait?

sharper

It's extremely unlikely you'll get a green card via the lottery, in addition to waiting for the 2014 allocation the odds are you just won't get one.

As far as I know there are two ways to go work in the US if you're in IT:

1. Via H1-B which requires the US employer to have or apply for a visa for the particular job. The conditions of this visa are pretty poor and they're mostly used to import cheap Indian or Chinese programmers. If you want to go work for the likes of Google or Twitter in the US under this visa it's possible but you can look forward to low pay, long hours, no benefits and almost no security.

2. If you work for a company that has a US presence they can sometimes organise a transfer using a different visa type.

Note none of the options work the way you might expect based on how other countries do it: You can't get a visa and then go looking for work. They all require a lot of involvement from the actual employer.

Green cards are very hard to come by even once you're there. Waits of 8+ years and a whole lot of paperwork are not uncommon. That's just for the green card which authorises you to work, not citizenship.

Canada or basically any other country is a better option.


Edit: Some figures:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permanent_residence_(United_States)#Green_card_lottery

Over 14.7 million applications for the 2012 Diversity Visa Lottery were submitted. This is an increase from the more than 2.7 million applications submitted in the 2011 Diversity Visa Lottery. Taking into account dependents, there are more than 19.6 million participants in the 2012 Diversity Visa Lottery. The largest number of applicants came from Bangladesh (more than 7.6 million applicants) followed by Nigeria (2,144,626) and Ukraine (1,080,091).

That's almost 15 million applications for the 50,000 visas they give out.

Nody

sharper wrote: »

That's almost 15 million applications for the 50,000 visas they give out.

Common misunderstanding; they don't give out 50k visas; they give out 50k possibilities for one. If you're successful you need to pass the additional interviews etc. as well.

[Jackass]

A move to the U.S. is virtually impossible. It's a closed shop, and I don't really blame them to be honest. Particularly in the current climate.

HOWEVER, Canada is extremely easy to get a visa for and not difficult to make the move perminant as long as you secure decent employment.

Visit USIT for a 1 to 2 year working holiday visa. It's straight forward, barely any conditions, and once you're over there you can apply for a different visa through work (and I'm pretty sure after 2 years living there you're entitled to perminant residency anyway, regardless of work).

nibtrix

[Jackass] wrote: »

HOWEVER, Canada is extremely easy to get a visa for and not difficult to make the move perminant as long as you secure decent employment.

Visit USIT for a 1 to 2 year working holiday visa. It's straight forward, barely any conditions, and once you're over there you can apply for a different visa through work (and I'm pretty sure after 2 years living there you're entitled to perminant residency anyway, regardless of work).

The Canada working holiday programme is direct application now - http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/ireland-irlande/experience_canada_experience/index.aspx?lang=eng&view=d

Closed for this year, keep an eye on the page linked for when next years programme opens (going on past years it'll be open in jan/feb and the earliest you can travel is around end of march)

Kaz88

Thanks everyone!
Is there a 1 year visa for working in the US if you arnt a graduate? I graduated last October - I know with the J1 that you must travel 12 mths after your graduation date but wouldnt be ready to go straight away (so before this Oct is out)
Canada is a definity maybe - going to look into it a bit more and see what area would suit me career wise

JohnMearsheimer

[Jackass] wrote: »

I'm pretty sure after 2 years living there you're entitled to perminant residency anyway, regardless of work).

I wish that was true. Unfortunately 2 years of living in Canada doesn't entitle you to permanent residency. It also matters what job you have. CIC has a list of occupations that Canadian employers find it hard to find people for. If you have one of these occupations it is easier to make a permanent move to Canada.

Palmy

When i won the Green card (DV lottery)in 2009 they randomly selected 100,000 people.Out of those 50,000 will get green cards.
Because out of the 100,000 alot won't meet the requirements (education,savings etc).But it is done fearly.I think a country is limited to a 7% allocation for the Green cards.This is to make it fear.
So if say 500,000 people from China apply for the D.V Lottery once they have reached 7% allocated for that country,no one else from China can be selected.:cool:

gaelicred

I went to america in 2001 applied for a green card there paperwork came through and it took 90 mins to get one

[Jackass]

How / where did you apply for the green card? Was it through the lottery?

OU812

^ 100/1 you were in the US prior to September

gaelicred

[Jackass] wrote: »

How / where did you apply for the green card? Was it through the lottery?

Through the state office i flew out november 14th 2001 only 30 people on the plane it makes things easier if you have a trade i will see what i can find out for you

gaelicred

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis


hope this helps

[Jackass]

Interesting. So did you have a sponsor from employer? Presumably yours was a perminant worker visa? Do you know what "preference" you were under and if you needed a labour certification?

gaelicred

[Jackass] wrote: »

Interesting. So did you have a sponsor from employer? Presumably yours was a perminant worker visa? Do you know what "preference" you were under and if you needed a labour certification?

i cant remember what preference i was under
if you have relatives out there they can sponser you
look for a trade that the usa are short on go back to my earlier post
i will help you as much as i can

Palmy

You have no chance of getting into the States with any trade.There is no visa for this and apart from winning the D.V lottery your chances are slim to none.Sorry for the bad news but it's pretty much a closed shop here.Buddy of mine just got sponsered but it cost him over $7,000 with having to change his qualifications over and sitting state and federal exams for the U.S, but he is a pharmacist with over 15 yrs experience.Even still it will cost the company sponsering him well over $5.000+ to sponser him.Once he has worked for the company for certain time they can apply for a Green Card for him.It's tough if you go there and you don't like the company you are working for.You can't change jobs untill you get your Green Card.:cool:

InTheTrees

Generally... and I could be wrong... but the green card is actually a Permanent Residency card (its not even green) and is considered a stepping stone (a kind of probationary period) on the way to Permanent citizenship after seven years.

I dont think they'd look too kindly on an applicant who says they just want to be in the us for a few years and then leave.

InTheTrees

gaelicred wrote: »

I went to america in 2001 applied for a green card there paperwork came through and it took 90 mins to get one

I dont understand. On what basis did you apply for a residency permit?

What was this "paperwork" you got?

It sounds like you were just joining relatives right?

Palmy

Yeah you must of had immediate family as that doesn't sound right at all.The U.S has always been a really hard country to get permanent residencey in even way before Sept 11 2001.That's why at the time there was so many illegal Irish here.If was just the case of going in and filling out paper work everyone would of been at it.

Palmy

The Permanent Residency Card (GREEN CARD) is actually Green.It used to be a light blue colour.You can live the rest of your life here on one and it doesnt actually expire but needs to be renewed every ten years.If you win one in the D.V lottery you can apply for citizenship after 5 years here and get a U.S Passport.
The only really way you will lose your permanent resident card is if you spend more time out of the U.S than in the U.S,or getting arrested for something that is a feloney..(Fraud,assault..etc).I know guys who have lived here 20+ years on Green Cards it just means you can't vote or do any job where you need to be a citizen like the Police etc.

silja

Palmy is right. At my citizenship interview, I chatted with a Kuwaiti guy who'd been a resident for 58 years. He only applied for citizenship now because he wanted to petition for a visa for his elderly mother, and greencard holders cannot petition for parents.

InTheTrees

Palmy wrote: »

The Permanent Residency Card (GREEN CARD) is actually Green.

It isnt green. There is a little green writing on the back.

I've had mine 15+ years (arrived in '88), they'll give you an american passport after seven years if you want one.

Er...this is an example...(its not me!):
http://flickriver.com/photos/nh7a/2341921331/

InTheTrees

silja wrote: »

Palmy is right. At my citizenship interview, I chatted with a Kuwaiti guy who'd been a resident for 58 years. He only applied for citizenship now because he wanted to petition for a visa for his elderly mother, and greencard holders cannot petition for parents.

With my elderly parents in Ireland and possible wills and probate issues, I was advised by an immigration attorney to wait.
The US Tax authorities would want a cut if I was an american citizen.

Palmy

They changed the cards about 4yrs ago they are green..:D

InTheTrees

Palmy wrote: »

They changed the cards about 4yrs ago they are green..:D

I'm sorry! I stand corrected!

I had one of the pink ones and my white one is valid until 2016.

Aprilmay

Kaz88 wrote: »

Hi All

Just on the US Department of state website (https://www.dvlottery.state.gov/) having a look around and have a few questions maybe someone can help me with.
I am beginging the process of looking into making a move to America at some stage for maybe a year to work.
At the minute I work in IT but I am looking for a change and am thinking of making the big jump but the website mentioned above is saying that the ballot for 2012 AND 2013 is already complete - does that mean that when Oct/November comes around again that the visas would be granted for 2014??
Anyone with some help would be great thanks

Try the lottery you have nothing to loose by entering we entered for the DV2010 and we were selected it was the first time we entered too.
I know the chances are probably slim 16 million entered in 2008 and we got picked but nothing ventured nothing gained as they say!!!