Australia & The Green Card Lottery

Fifty thousand green card lottery visas are distributed every year to applicants from 6 regions.
If you are from Australia you are able to get a chance to enter the US via Australia‘s
Diversity Visa Lottery Program quota. The first question that might
come to mind when you think of applying for the green card lottery is
"Am I eligible for the green card lottery program as an Australian?".
After verifying the qualifying norms, if you meet the requirements for the program
you should definitely give it a shot and apply for the program, because the US green card lottery is by far
the easiest and most cost effective way of obtaining permanent residency status for the USA.








The Diversity Visa Lottery selection is random. The number of applicants from Australia versus
the number of visas granted for Australians might differ. While the chance for winning the green card
lottery might be not be statistically high, there are on average 1,000 Australians who win the green card lottery every year.

There are work experience related requirements, education related requirements, place of birth related requirements
and other norms you might have to meet in order to be eligible for the program. Any person whose country of birth
is Australia is eligible to apply for the green card lottery program
(Diversity Visa program), as long as they meet the work / education criteria.

You might have to show some proof that you are a citizen of Australia or a citizen from one
of the qualifying countries as a proof of your nativity to be eligible for the continental quota allotted for your region.

You were born in Australia or in one of the eligible countries.
You might be eligible if your spouse is an Australian or a citizen from
one of the qualifying countries to be eligible by virtue of nativity.
Even if you do not qualify for the country of birth requisites by the above two conditions,
you might be able to apply for the green card lottery if either one of
your parents were born in Australia or in one of the qualifying countries, you might be able
to apply for the program by virtue of nativity of your parent‘s birth.
Since the immigration rates from Australia to the US are considered relatively low in comparison with
other countries, it seems guaranteed that Australian citizens shall remain eligible to take part in the
yearly green card program. (countries that send over 50,000
immigrants per year to the US, are automatically excluded from the yearly lottery as the whole aim of it is to
increase diversity – hence its name – the diversity visa program).

Therefore, if you are interested to apply and try your luck, you should definitely do so, but make sure
that you follow the strict guidelines set by the US department of state for the application process.
It is unfortunate that a high proportion of applicants from all over the world are disqualified as a result
of improper submission of their applications, which can be easily prevented by familiarizing yourself
with the guidelines for the application and the supporting passport photograph.

If you are applying by virtue of occupation, the occupation should be sufficiently at the level permitted
for the green card lottery. Over qualified or under qualified skill levels and experience might not help as well.

Even if you are an Australian, if you do not meet the required eligibility norms for
the application you should not apply. It would be a waste of time applying when you are not eligible,
as the rules are very clear and if you do not meet any of the requirements, you are automatically disqualified.

There are professional companies who can advise you if you have the eligibility to apply for the US green
card lottery for your qualification with respect to the eligibility conditions. It is better you get in touch
with them to ensure you are doing the application process right. They have been doing it for years and
they know whether it is practically right for you to apply. If you are not eligible to apply for the lottery,
their immigration specialists can recommend alternative methods for obtaining a green card based on your personal circumstances.

Japan & The Green Card Lottery

The Diversity Visa program is a great opportunity for Japanese to get
an immigration visa from the US Department of State Diversity. This Green Card Lottery program
is extended to 55,000 people from eligible countries, which includes Japan in the continent of Asia.
Hence Japanese can apply for a green card this year,
if they are eligible as per the criteria of requirement and wait for the random selection process to conclude.








What does the Diversity Visa program mean for Japanese?
Through the Diversity Visa program, citizens from Japan and other eligible countries
from around the world can live & work in the United States, primarily because these eligible countries
have sent fewer rates of immigrants to work in USA in the past.
The Green Card being a legal document, allows you to not only live & work permanently in the USA,
but also enjoy permanent residence in the USA with benefits including owning property and studying,
which are available to other US citizens.

History of Japanese Getting and Immigration to the USA
Historically, the Japanese had an agreement with the USA in the late 19th century,
according to which Japanese workers were allowed to immigrate to USA to live & work there.
This was primarily because the Chinese Exclusion Act in USA led to the demand for workers who could replace the Chinese immigrants.
A few decades later the Gentlemen�s Agreement came into force, according to which further immigration from Japan to USA
was stopped. However, it allowed the spouses of Japanese Americans to travel to Japan.
The ban on immigration of Japanese in 1920s almost created two distinct groups of Japanese Americans in the country,
those who immigrated to Japan and those who were born in the USA.

Immigration Statistics for Japanese
With about 1.2 million Japanese Americans, the community is now the 6th largest of all mixed ethnic Asian Americans.
California, Hawaii, Washington and New York are the top 4 places boasting of the largest number of Japanese Americans.
In fact, Japanese roots in California and Hawaii extend well beyond a century when sophisticated techniques of agriculture
were introduced by the Japanese immigrants.
The Diversity Work program winner allocation includes more than 50% Africans and almost 30% from Europe in recent times.
Asia has contributed a mere 15%, with India, Pakistan, China and Japan being the dominant contributors.
Both California and Hawaii boast of 300,000 Japanese Americans with Washington and New York contributing around 50,000
as per the census figures a decade ago.
Japanese students are noticeably present in many Ivy League schools.

Tips to Apply for a Green Card
The statistical breakdown for those registered for the Diversity Work Program in 2011,
by foreign state chargeability includes 298 Japanese although the number of Bangladeshis and Iranians is in thousands.
It is interesting to note that for the Green Card Lottery program,
the list of eligible countries is similar to what it was the previous year, with no countries added or removed.
Those born in Japan but residing in USA and have a valid visa can apply for the Green Card Lottery.
Japanese citizens anywhere in the world can also apply for a green card.