Visa Lottery 2022: USA Announces Winners

(CNN) – US State Department on Saturday announced the winners of the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program 2022Visa Lottery Green card (Green card) “.

The program benefits more than 55,000 people a year, allowing winners to apply for visas from countries with low immigration to the United States.

This year’s plan took on new meaning when President Joe Biden lifted restrictions imposed by former President Donald Trump. In 2017, Trump took a series of steps aimed at preventing people from Muslim-majority countries from reaching the United States. The last to come into force was Presidential Decree 9645, which imposed different levels of restrictions on foreigners from eight countries: Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, Somalia and Yemen.

On his first day as president, Biden issued a new presidential proclamation – “Ending discriminatory barriers to entry into the United States” – ending restrictions under Presidential Declaration 9645.

“In accordance with President Biden’s Declaration, the Department of State will conduct a review to ensure that persons who have been denied immigrant visa applications can review their applications under the suspension and entry ban imposed by PP 9645 or 9983,” the Department of Diplomatic Affairs’ Office of Visas said. On your website.

According to State Department data, tens of thousands of immigrant visa applicants, including applicants for diversity visas, were denied visas in fiscal years 2017, 2018 and 2019 under the Trump administration policy.

Visa lottery participants can check the status of their application on the Visa Lottery website. Embassy Affairs Office From the Department.

What is a Diversity Visa Program?

The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program provides visas to 55,000 people a year Green card Or green card, which provides permanent residency in the United States and is the path to citizenship.

Opponents of immigration complain that the program is bringing people to the United States to compete for jobs, and even immigration advocates agree that the program does not adapt applicants to the needs of the United States.

Visas are issued to eligible individuals through random selection in selected countries to encourage immigration from countries with low immigration to the United States.

How does it work?

According to one formula, people in countries with sufficient immigration to the United States can apply for visas at certain times of the year. Most lottery recipients live outside the United States, but some are legally on other visas in the country.

According to a formula established by law, more than 50,000 Native Americans have not qualified for immigration to the United States in the past five years.

Visas are widely distributed by region: Africa, Asia, Europe, North America (excluding Mexico), Oceania, South America, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. The program is run by the State Department.

Although people are randomly selected for visas, all of their immigrants must meet the security and eligibility requirements that must be met in order to obtain their visas.

Diversity recipients must have at least one high school or equivalent education and at least two years of experience in a job that requires at least two years of training or experience within five years from the date of application. They should be allowed in the United States as well – the types that the United States cannot allow in general include links to terrorism.

This process also involves interviewing a person.

“Those selected for immigration and diversity visas should be allowed into the United States,” says the State Department Information Brochure for Applicants. “DS-260, Online Alien Registration and Immigrant Visa Application, electronically, and the embassy agent will ask questions about your eligibility to settle under US law in person. These questions include topics related to crime and security.

How did it start?

The scheme was established in a bill passed in 1990 known as the Immigration Act. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, then a New York congressman, was one of 31 co-supporters of the House version of the bill, while then-Congressman Bruce Morrison was the leader of the Connecticut Democrats.

Schumer was proud of the idea of ​​issuing visas to countries with low enrollment rates to the United States, which he developed into a separate bill, which he funded and incorporated into broader legislation.

Morrison promoted the bill as a way to legalize Irish immigrants, according to a 1990 report by The New York Times and an analysis of the development of the USA Group Plan, which supports drastic cuts in group immigration.

The final bill was approved by the Senate with 89 votes in favor, 8 against and the House of Representatives with 264-118 votes.

CNN’s Madeleine Stix, Jennifer Honsler and Mohammed Darwish contributed to the report. Tal Coban also contributed to the report.