In a new law, The United States seeks to bar a number of applicants from ever proceeding to the lottery stage of the Diversity Lottery of permanent residence.
Due to the current restrictive immigration policies, the Trump administration is working round the clock to ensure that any person without the means to fend for themselves is locked out.
While the yearly DV lottery avails some 50,000 spots for foreigners to share in the American dream, at least 400,000 people apply for the green cards.
The lucky ones smile all the way to the land of the free while the unlucky lot have the chance to re-apply in the subsequent years to try out their luck once again.
In the new directive, the US government eeks to weed out highly dependent people who will need government assistance in terms of food stamps, medical aid or general welfare so as to ease the burden from the American tax-payer.
The new laws are set to be effective from October 15, even as the lottery applications began on October 2 and is set to run for a whole month up to November 5.
The sunny side, however, is that green card applicants can have their relatives who are already permanent US citizens stand in for them as sponsors.
Once you are successful, you are given a 10-year opportunity to live and work in America. You are also required to always carry your green card with you during your stay.
The green card can always be renewed after the lapse of the 10-year window.
This follows an earlier directive by US President Donald Trump to ban Somalia and Sudan citizens from participating in the DV lottery. Other countries also affected by the ban were Iran, Iraq, Syria and Yemen.
To enter the lottery, you only need to be above 18 years old, proof that you have secondary education or two years of working experience.
All applications take place on the official US Diversity Lottery website.