Published on March 22, 2008

The Green Card Lottery

Each year, the US Diversity Visa Program awards 50,000 permanent residency visas, known as Green Cards, through a random lottery.

Congress created the Lottery in 1990 to bring in people from nations with low immigration rates. Countries that have sent more than 50,000 immigrants in the past five years are excluded.

Lottery hopefuls need only a high school diploma or two years work experience in a field requiring two years training to qualify. They can apply for free on the State Department's website.

William Kotlarik is a native of Slovakia. Three years ago he submitted applications for himself and his wife Teresa. What began as a stab in the dark, ended up changing their lives.

William Kotlarik: "She called me and said, «Well I have this crazy package and it says that I want a green card, did you submit anything, do you know anything about it?»
I was like «Well, I forgot to mention, but yes I did and I thought that the chance is only small but I did it anyway.»"

The Kotlariks submitted their documents, birth and marriage certificates, diplomas, criminal histories, and in February 2006, after a medical exam and interview at the US Embassy in the neighboring Czech Republic, they got their green cards.

Even with the screening process in place, critics argue the lottery's random selection and minimum requirements open the door for anyone to enter the country, including terrorists.

The State Department's Deputy Assistant Secretary for Visas Services, Tony Edson, disagrees: "We feel that the scrutiny that we are giving to these applications, that the care with which they are screened and interviewed are adequate to ensure the integrity of the visa process and the security of our borders."

The Kotlariks say they are grateful for the opportunity the lottery gave them. They say the program's design sends an important message to the rest of the world.

Teresa Kotlarikova: "Everybody has the same chance and the same opportunity. And is what I like here in the United States."

But people might not have that opportunity much longer. Earlier this year, both Houses of Congress passed a bill that would eliminate funding for the Lottery. The bill now goes to a conference committee of senators and representatives to work out differences.