Lottery

[flyrr100]

I just flew with a pilot from Oz. He and his wife won their green cards last year in the lottery! All they needed was a high school graduation and a clean police record.
Do the Brits have the Green Card Lottery?

[owen3]

No if you are born in the uk you are not allowed to apply for it.
Barbara

[florida4sun]

Unless your parents are born abroad.

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by owen3
No if you are born in the uk you are not allowed to apply for it.
Barbara
[/quote]

[roger]

Carolyn won the green card lottery this year. Although we are both British, because she was born in Germany she is able to apply each year. I am also able to apply since I am married to someone born in Germany. Although she won, all the family get Green Cards.

As Martin says, if you were not born in a qualifying country, but both parents were born in a qualifying country then you can also apply.

[canarypam]

If you are born in Ireland you can apply - it's very unfair on us Brits [msnmad]

[Jill]

It is all part of the 'special relationship' we have with America!

[canarypam]

Yes indeed - my husband emailed President Bush about it once he did get a reply back just saying thank you for your email etc etc ....

[florida4sun]

Actually it is a fair system. It is aimed at attracting diversity. Just about every brit wants to live in Florida and they have no shortage of brits applying for visas. The lottery is aimed at countries who do not send many people over to the USA.

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by canarypam
If you are born in Ireland you can apply - it's very unfair on us Brits [msnmad]
[/quote]

[roger]

Any country that sends an average of 10,000 people or more to the USA over the last 5 years (ie 50,000 people over 5 years) is excluded from the Green Card Lottery. It always does seem odd that Northern Ireland can apply though (Ireland is understanable).

So if ever the UK sends less than this number of people to the US then we would start to be included in the lottery.

[Cruella DeVilla]

We stand side by side with her no matter what but we are excluded[?]

[Mr G]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by roger
......
So if ever the UK sends less than this number of people to the US then we would start to be included in the lottery.
[/quote]

Yes but wouldn't our booking Calendars look sick[msnscared]

[florida4sun]

We are not excluded from emigrating to the usa as over 100,000 of us do that each each year.

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Cruella DeVilla
We stand side by side with her no matter what but we are excluded[?]
[/quote]

[florida4sun]

Tourists dont count so no worries there[msnsmile]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Mr G
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by roger
......
So if ever the UK sends less than this number of people to the US then we would start to be included in the lottery.
[/quote]

Yes but wouldn't our booking Calendars look sick[msnscared]
[/quote]

[thornton]

Roger, do I understand from this that both your parents have to be born abroad in a qualifying country not just one? Both of us have one parent who was born abroad.

[florida4sun]

I believe it is just one parent.

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by thornton

Roger, do I understand from this that both your parents have to be born abroad in a qualifying country not just one? Both of us have one parent who was born abroad.
[/quote]

[roger]

I think it has to be both parents, not just one.

[Frosty]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by florida4sun
We are not excluded from emigrating to the usa as over 100,000 of us do that each each year.

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Cruella DeVilla
We stand side by side with her no matter what but we are excluded[?]
[/quote]
[/quote]
But where do they get their figures for emigrating?
We have moved here, but under the rules of an E2 visa we are classed as temporary.
Are we included in the "emigrated" numbers i wonder???

The measure would be how many people attain permanent residence in the US from the UK per year.

Interestingly, i wonder whether Roger and his family are included in the UK numbers, even though they got here by having connections to another country (Germany).

If that were the case then people who can apply through connections to other countries would infact be stopping people who have no ties, by filling the avaialble 10,000 allocated slots.
Now that would seem just plain unfair.

[roger]

It is based on the number of people from each country obtaining permenant residency (green cards) not on the numbers approved for various other visas.

They look at the country of chargeability (Germany in Carolyn's case) when counting numbers of people from various countries.

I would imagine in our case, we will count as 1 person from Germany and 5 people from the UK in terms of the stats.

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Frosty
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by florida4sun
We are not excluded from emigrating to the usa as over 100,000 of us do that each each year.

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Cruella DeVilla
We stand side by side with her no matter what but we are excluded[?]
[/quote]
[/quote]
But where do they get their figures for emigrating?
We have moved here, but under the rules of an E2 visa we are classed as temporary.
Are we included in the "emigrated" numbers i wonder???

The measure would be how many people attain permanent residence in the US from the UK per year.

Interestingly, i wonder whether Roger and his family are included in the UK numbers, even though they got here by having connections to another country (Germany).

If that were the case then people who can apply through connections to other countries would infact be stopping people who have no ties, by filling the avaialble 10,000 allocated slots.
Now that would seem just plain unfair.
[/quote]

[Cruella DeVilla]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by florida4sun
We are not excluded from emigrating to the usa as over 100,000 of us do that each each year.

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Cruella DeVilla
We stand side by side with her no matter what but we are excluded[?]
[/quote]
[/quote]

Martin I am not talking about being excluded from emigrating (Although it is not technically possible to emigrate is it) I am talking about being excluded for the green card lottery which is what the title was. :D At the moment I know more than most how difficut the whole saga is:(

[SDJ]

We have not been allowed to win the lottery now for at least 15 years.

I was given to understand that years earlier, when UK had the 'brain drain' which some of the oldies may remember, that a private treaty was made between the 2 countries to try to stop all the clever educated British leaving to live in the USA. From my understanding, that is still the case.

Unscrupulous US Attorneys were still collecting fees - I think it was around $60/$80 to enter the Lottery, whilst we had no chance of winning a Green Card.

Sandra

[Frosty]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by roger
It is based on the number of people from each country obtaining permenant residency (green cards) not on the numbers approved for various other visas.

They look at the country of chargeability (Germany in Carolyn's case) when counting numbers of people from various countries.

I would imagine in our case, we will count as 1 person from Germany and 5 people from the UK in terms of the stats.

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Frosty
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by florida4sun
We are not excluded from emigrating to the usa as over 100,000 of us do that each each year.

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Cruella DeVilla
We stand side by side with her no matter what but we are excluded[?]
[/quote]
[/quote]
But where do they get their figures for emigrating?
We have moved here, but under the rules of an E2 visa we are classed as temporary.
Are we included in the "emigrated" numbers i wonder???

The measure would be how many people attain permanent residence in the US from the UK per year.

Interestingly, i wonder whether Roger and his family are included in the UK numbers, even though they got here by having connections to another country (Germany).

If that were the case then people who can apply through connections to other countries would infact be stopping people who have no ties, by filling the avaialble 10,000 allocated slots.
Now that would seem just plain unfair.
[/quote]
[/quote]

Thanks for putting me straight.

Still think its unfair that you have applied because of your links with Germany, so all your numbers should have gone against the german allocation.
That way there might not be so many UK emigrants coming to America, then there might be a chance we don't send our allocation and thus they open the lottery back up to UK citizens.

Thats not an attack on you, good on yer that you got in, i just think that the system is flawed and it seems to be flawed heavy against us having a fighting chance same as everyone else.

Maybe SDJ is right and there is something a lot more underhand going on between the 2 countries.

[steph_goodrum]

Neil

Thr figure used doesn't include those who get residency because of the lottery , so it doesn't matter if Rogers family is on there. The basis of entry into the lottery is that the country has had "less than 55,000 on average over the preceding 5 years, admitted into the country by other means".

What I think is wrong is that it is a fixed number rather than a percentage of the applicants country, some countries have such a small population that they would never reach the 55,000 unless all their citizens went over, so purely by accident of birthplace rather than merit those from a larger country are less likely to have the opportunity to move if they wish, especially if it is a fairly prosperous country and there are enough people with enough money to buy into the country. (Not forgetting all though with such "special talents" like DB etc who go into the pot of 55,000 and make up the numbers there.

Incidentally if you were born abroad in an eligible country whilst either of your parents were serving in the armed foces you can enter through that country, even though you have a British nationality.

[blott]

On the news this morning - 385,000 people left the UK to live abroad in 2006. I wonder what the percentage is of that figure who go to the USA?

[roger]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by steph_goodrum

Incidentally if you were born abroad in an eligible country whilst either of your parents were serving in the armed foces you can enter through that country, even though you have a British nationality.
[/quote]

That's exactly what we're doing. Carolyn's Father was in the Armed forces, so parents based in Germany when she was born. She has a UK birth certificate (issued in Germany), with place of Birth as Germany, which was enough to qualify her.

[Cruella DeVilla]

It's kinda crazy that Steph and I just don't get it though, born of British Miitary parents, I would imagine in a British Military hospital say Iserlohn, Rinteln or Wegberg and living on a UK base all classed as the UK for all intent and purposes but hey ho if it gets you throught the door I suppose you are going to grab it with both hands.

[thornton]

I always thought that if a child was born on a military base they were classed as having been born in the country of whose base it was not the country where the base was. This is why the only people who have legal jurisdication over the bases are the country whose citizens live there and not the home country.

It is always said that Elvis Presley never came to Britain, when in fact he landed at Lakenheath in Suffolk when he was in the army but as it was classed at US land he never came to the UK.

[steph_goodrum]

"That's exactly what we're doing. Carolyn's Father was in the Armed forces, so parents based in Germany when she was born. She has a UK birth certificate (issued in Germany), with place of Birth as Germany, which was enough to qualify her.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was born 4 years too early Roger, we had 3 years in Singapore when I was 4 other wise I might have been able to apply if I wanted (assuming Singapore is eligible that is.

[ncmurray]

Are there any down sides to getting a green card? Do you HAVE to take a US passport, or can you have dual nationality?

We are Irish citizens, and I think that we can have dual nationality, but if anyone can confirm this I would appreciate it.

Thanks

Nuala

[Cruella DeVilla]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by thornton
I always thought that if a child was born on a military base they were classed as having been born in the country of whose base it was not the country where the base was. This is why the only people who have legal jurisdication over the bases are the country whose citizens live there and not the home country.

It is always said that Elvis Presley never came to Britain, when in fact he landed at Lakenheath in Suffolk when he was in the army but as it was classed at US land he never came to the UK.
[/quote]

I'm with you on this Jill but it seems to be a loophole after all there is nothing German whatsoever about these children, if you are born in China it does not make you Chinese or if you are born in the States it does not make you an American:D but again if you have the chance grasp it with both hands you don't look a gifthorse in the mouth afterall. I've lived there on and off for the last 20 years wonder if that would count....[:P]

[roger]

Getting a green card does not give you US Citizenship, so your nationality does not change. After 5 years on a Green Card you can choose to apply for US Citizenship, then you have to deal with issues about your natinality / passport etc.

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by ncmurray
Are there any down sides to getting a green card? Do you HAVE to take a US passport, or can you have dual nationality?

We are Irish citizens, and I think that we can have dual nationality, but if anyone can confirm this I would appreciate it.

Thanks

Nuala
[/quote]