US Green Card 2012 Lottery

Hurley6969

Hey, I finish college this year with hopefully a 2.1 Hons Degree and already have a 2.1 Higher Cert and I would like to go to the US to live. I know the lottery is a long shot but do they take any qualifications into account in the application process (I haven't seen the form before) and will it start in 2010 at the same time as this years application process for 2011 lottery.
Also, are there any other ways of getting perminant residence for the US, like through jobs etc. Been to the states before but just on holiday and really like the idea of living there. Anyone have any experiences, good or bad, on moving there to live?
Cheers.

silja

Application period is the same time every year, ie October/ November. As long as you have a minimum level of education, your honours degree won't matter I am afraid.

Your other options would be to apply for a student visa, which is easy to get but doesn't lead to permanent residency immediately, but is easy to get and once over there, you will have other options to apply for long-term visas/ the green card, or find a US employer who will sponsor you for a work visa and then green card.

On a shorter term, there is a new year long J1 visa you could apply for, to give you a taste of living in the USA, it is only available to students or thoese within one year of graduating.

Pete4779

Hurley6969 wrote: »

Hey, I finish college this year with hopefully a 2.1 Hons Degree and already have a 2.1 Higher Cert and I would like to go to the US to live. I know the lottery is a long shot but do they take any qualifications into account in the application process (I haven't seen the form before) and will it start in 2010 at the same time as this years application process for 2011 lottery.
Also, are there any other ways of getting perminant residence for the US, like through jobs etc. Been to the states before but just on holiday and really like the idea of living there. Anyone have any experiences, good or bad, on moving there to live?
Cheers.

The lottery is just a lottery. Your name, address, DOB and what country you are applying from. Once you win, you then have to meet the criteria for education/work to be eligible to actually get it - usually the leaving cert is enough. On the form, they ask about work experience and qualifications, etc., .

Other ways to get a green card:
1) Marry a US citizen for > 3 years. It pretty much has to be legit!
2) Join the army: if you are there on a J-visa or basically any type of short stay visa, and you meet certain qualification requirements, you can get immediately fast tracked to a green card if you join e.g., MAVNI and then also get fast tracked to Iraq.
3) Invest US$500,000 in a US company or start a business there employing (AFAIR) at leats 3 people

If it's getting a work visa which would allow eventual green card status, then many companies can sponser H1B visas (depends on your contract, is hassle and you need to be valuable to the company to make them go do it) or else have special qualifications like e.g., University professor (I think these are O-visas).

Hurley6969

Cheers for the replies, just wondering whats the legality of getting the years student visa but actually working full time for the year for a company and from the start asking them if they are satisfied over the year that they might sponser you? Haven't applied for the visa before.
What if you have a relitave over there and say they got you a job somewhere (just for arguments sake) that would sponsor you, would this be legit or is it a case that you must not know the person personally if you get me.

Hurley6969

Pete4779 wrote: »

3) Invest US$500,000 in a US company or start a business there employing (AFAIR) at leats 3 people

Not that I have $500,000 going spare but is that simply buying shares to that value or do you need to be a director or chairperson of the company?

silja

Hurley6969 wrote: »

Cheers for the replies, just wondering whats the legality of getting the years student visa but actually working full time for the year for a company and from the start asking them if they are satisfied over the year that they might sponser you? Haven't applied for the visa before.
What if you have a relitave over there and say they got you a job somewhere (just for arguments sake) that would sponsor you, would this be legit or is it a case that you must not know the person personally if you get me.

Nothing wrong with that! You would need to come back to Ireland for the work visa interview once the paperwork has gone through, but it is perfectly legal to go over on the J1 (or even the VWP, as long as you do not overstay) and make connections/ network to get someone to sponsor a work visa.