Inj2009

Hi, I just remembered someone told me that if both your parents are British you're not eligible to do the "green card lottery". Is this true? I haven't looked at the details, but just curious.
Isn't the whole concept just weird?

dreamercon

Actually, you are eligible if you are born (or have a spouse born) in an eligible country, with limited exceptions for those born to parents that are not from that country. If you are born in Great Britain, then you are generally not eligible for the "green card lottery".

nutgrove

FAQ's & eligibility from the government website

http://www.usafis.org/requirements.asp

dreamercon

USAFIS is not the government website. Its the rip-off website.

Inj2009

That's pretty much what I understood.
Thanks very much for clarifying / confirming.

Oh........another message just s I was trying to send this
.....a rip-off website? Sounds a a bit worrying. Anyway, UK still not eligible, right? even on the government website, I assume.

Thanks

dreamercon

As a matter of fact, the usafis website is not even right, it mistakenly says that natives of the United Kingdom can not participate - actually it is natives of Great Britain that can not participate. The United Kingdom includes Great Britain as well as Northern Ireland, which is eligible.

Michelmas

The DV lottery is to incourage diversity in the immigration process and allow countries that do not have a high influx of people into the USA.
Immigrating to the USA while difficult, is relatively easy and common for brits, hence not lottery eligible.

dreamercon

This is the official website:
http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigra...ypes_1318.html

and this is the fraud warning for websites such as USAFIS:

http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigra...ypes_1749.html

meauxna

Official info site with links to entry when open: http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigra...ypes_1322.html