scrubbedexpat099

To be fair it is not ethnic, and you do need the equivalent of a High School Diploma!

Assuming you wish to have a limit and obviously many people do not, then it seems an odd category to have.

robtuck

I've never quite figured out how strict immigration control squares with free market thinking and small Government - should just be an unregulated free for all - I know why that isn't necessarily a good thing, just saying the two don't sit as natural bedfellows. Much more naturally aligned to a more Socialist approach - controlling the population being necessary when attempting to share the wealth equally. Then again, nothing in Politics makes much sense anymore.

Anyway - the DV is, as outlined, a lottery in every sense. Better odds to be found in the L Visa route with some career planning, but it won't be quick, so given the lottery is essentially free in this case, give it a whirl while you can.

DigitalGhost

Unless I'm mistaken, America used to market it as being about ethnic diversity although I'm not sure that they do anymore. It is purely based on nationality and ancestral nationality though which in today's globalised world makes absolutely zero sense. Britain, Canada and Mexico have never been eligible for it regardless though.

markcst

The DV Visa option is a pipe dream for you. Just being realistic here. You really need to have a plan to improve your skills and be of merit and use to a US Employer.

To this end an option could be to do a degree course over here. It won't be cheap and you'd have to work your way through college, but that's probably a more viable option and you'd realise your plan quicker, albeit taking 5 years and having to live close to the edge money wise. The only other option is to genuinely start a business here, but that would require a good chunk of capital.

So lets talk about both of those. The key phrase is work and money. if you want an easy way in, you are not going to adjust to the no safety net life here. If you have to work for it, you will and you'll start to understand how to get on.

My son is at college and get preferential rates as a resident of his/our state, but even so its $12000 a year he/we have to find. Best job he's got so far is $13 an hour for 20 hours a week and he STILL has to get his degree. He has the option of living at home and I basically sub him his car, board and lodgings. We took that decision so he will maintain a grade average of at least 3.5 (which he will need for a decent job).

As others said the other option is to find a multi-national and work for them in the UK for a few years, and maybe get a transfer (like I did). But you'll have to be good at what you do as that's what I had to do. They have to send you here on merit too, they can't just send someone who dreams of being here.

Good Luck!

DigitalGhost

The other option is try for an IEC for Canada and find out whether or not the North American way of life is even for you. Canada might be less of an extreme culture shock for a young Briton compared with the USA but your employment opportunities are going to be fairly slim in either country atm anyway.

You could also try one of the seasonal J1 work programs to get a small taste of life stateside. I'm pretty much guaranteeing that life in America is unlikely to be what you think it is.

Ling_Noi

I've been doing the DV lottery for 4 years now and I only applied under my wife's citizenship (Thai) because I thought I was ineligible (UK).

Are you saying based upon my marriage to an eligible candidate I could have applied twice?

scrubbedexpat099

Correct

Noorah101

Well, your wife can apply once and you can apply once. So yes, 2 applications per year.

Rene

civilservant