Green Card Lottery advice

AnnaBooBoo

Hey all,

Completed my graduate year visa stretch back in Oct 2013. Was so raging I had read so much about the green card lottery on boards but never actually googled it and read too much into it outside this website.

So during christmas I find out from my aunt that she and my uncle actually won the green card lottery many years ago so that jolted me into googling it.

So I find out that it actually opened back 3 weeks before I came home and closed at the beginning of November...ugh! So now I have to wait until May to apply.

Anyways I want to ask anyone who's previously applied, what exactly is involved? You just go on the website and apply online yes? Any info would be great thanks :D:D:D

athtrasna

No you can't apply until October and that's if there is a lottery this year, never guaranteed. You need a photo that's less than six months old and there are very specific requirements/dimensions for the photo. Other than that the main thing you need is your passport number and you fill in a few basic details and that's it.

Odds are small but someone has to win

AnnaBooBoo

oh yeah I know it was in October, I just never knew when I got home from my year stay that it was open at the time I came back and I just found that out last week from the .gov website. raging lol!

thats good advice about the picture, so you will need to obviously scan the one you want to use and upload it that way? I know the proper sizes I need from my last visa app so thats cool. Did you win it yourself athtrasna?

athtrasna

No. Applied once, didn't get it. Next time I was all set to apply but then decided I didn't actually want to buy into the whole corporate America thing. I like my holidays and not having early starts, and can't do fake nice.

iusedtoknow

athtrasna wrote: »

No. Applied once, didn't get it. Next time I was all set to apply but then decided I didn't actually want to buy into the whole corporate America thing. I like my holidays and not having early starts, and can't do fake nice.

and the winner of the stereotype award is...

I rarely if ever start work before 9 and sit on 18 days annual leave ( not including federal holidays + a week at christmas) and got called the B word twice before dinner. Welcome to San Francisco

America is what you make of it. I never bought into the celtic tiger thing, but I also don't have a house worth less than I paid for it or any of the trappings that the time period bought.

The green card lotto is worth the shot. I'm getting the green card a different way, but if I was still sat in Ireland, i'd probably take my chance.

sligoface

athtrasna wrote: »

No. Applied once, didn't get it. Next time I was all set to apply but then decided I didn't actually want to buy into the whole corporate America thing. I like my holidays and not having early starts, and can't do fake nice.

Any good at 'genuine nice'? Works in any country I find.

Btw, it's usually only people who work for tips or in retail where they get commission who are OTT nice, and while it can be annoying at times, I prefer that to Ireland where the height of customer service is to snap 'You okay?' at any person who dares enter the shop/pub/restaurant, etc.

Outside of those situations, people in the US generally act like everyone else: some are jerks, some are nice. And while 'corporate America' can be extremely lame, there's times here that I missed working somewhere that made an effort to be organized, communicate openly and create a positive, cohesive workplace culture, as most of the places I've worked at here have been shambolic in those areas, usually due to having the least inspiring, most unmotivated management imaginable, and a general uncaring attitude towards keeping customers or staff happy. A lot of business owners got far too spoied during the boom here IMO.

Don't let preconceived notions of US workplace culture put you off trying it, there are way more opportunities there than exist here and the unemployment is nowhere near as bad, good employees are valued more, and they aren't able to use the fact that they can get free labor through jobbridge as a reason to get rid of you or pay you peanuts regardless of your performance.

Rachiee

In fairness id say 18 days plus is well above average. On average employees in the states get about a week less in annual leave than we do here. Id say working conditions would depend on what sector you'd be working in.

Also just checking but isn't there a 50 euro charge for entering into the lottery?

iusedtoknow

Rachiee wrote: »

In fairness id say 18 days plus is well above average. On average employees in the states get about a week less in annual leave than we do here. Id say working conditions would depend on what sector you'd be working in.

Also just checking but isn't there a 50 euro charge for entering into the lottery?

It's true, mandated vacation time is 2 weeks for full time work, with federal holiday on top of that. However, many company's offer floating days as well as added time for years service. A friend started with 10 days, now being with her company for 5 years she's up to 15 as well as floating days (most use this for the day around July 4th and Thanksgiving)

I work in IT and my working conditions are pretty good. I get good annual leave, as well as well compensated. My wife on the other hand is a resident doctor and gets around 10 days vacation a year (if she's lucky enough to be able to take them between everything that being a newbie doctor entails) and probably gets 20 hours a week sleep.

athtrasna

I work in a field where I too would struggle to take leave and 15 + hour days would be normal in the US. No stereotypes, research. Here I work maybe thirty of those kind of days a year but also average more than thirty days leave a year.

On the niceness, I don't like the Sir & Ma'am formality and sometimes it's nice to just go into a restaurant and order food without the whole rigmarole.

I'm a frequent US visitor but on reflection living there is not for me. That's all I was saying.

slinkypink

Rachiee wrote: »

Also just checking but isn't there a 50 euro charge for entering into the lottery?

NO!!!!! These are the scam green card lottery websites, it is completely free to enter, you do not need a passport number, but definitely check that you meet ALL the criteria required BEFORE you enter...
We won it last year, so are just waiting on our interview at the U.S Embassy

yosser hughes

There is already a thread open on this. It has all the info. you need. I fail to see what a persons opinion on "Corporate America"has anything to do with answering the OP's question.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055863103

cena

slinkypink wrote: »

NO!!!!! These are the scam green card lottery websites, it is completely free to enter, you do not need a passport number, but definitely check that you meet ALL the criteria required BEFORE you enter...
We won it last year, so are just waiting on our interview at the U.S Embassy

How many we won last year? Have you long to wait for your interview

spideog7

iusedtoknow wrote: »

It's true, mandated vacation time is 2 weeks for full time work, with federal holiday on top of that.

Mandated by who? There's no federal requirement for any vacation days. And often if you don't work federal holidays you don't get paid for them.

owenc

I signed up.

You just go on to their website and enter your details. Its really easy. I'm waiting on the results to come through.

iusedtoknow

spideog7 wrote: »

Mandated by who? There's no federal requirement for any vacation days. And often if you don't work federal holidays you don't get paid for them.

Cheerfully withdrawn! Should have checked

slinkypink

cena wrote: »

How many we won last year? Have you long to wait for your interview

175 were issued to Irish applicants last year for the 2014 DV-Lottery.

We sent away our documents last summer after we found out we won, but there is a really long waiting time for the Green Card Lottery Cut-off Numbers (Immigrant Visa Numbers) to become available. These can be found in the monthly Visa Bulletin.

Basically, how you can determine your waiting time is check your Visa Number then check the cut-off numbers for your Geographic region each month in the Visa Bulletin and keep an eye on your email. The Consular Service do not post your notification letter anymore.
(When you get through on the first round, you will be issued a Case Number, eg: 2014EU00012345[/U][/B], of which the last 5-6 digits (12345) is your Visa Number)

cena

slinkypink wrote: »

175 were issued to Irish applicants last year for the 2014 DV-Lottery.

We sent away our documents last summer after we found out we won, but there is a really long waiting time for the Green Card Lottery Cut-off Numbers (Immigrant Visa Numbers) to become available. These can be found in the monthly Visa Bulletin.

Basically, how you can determine your waiting time is check your Visa Number then check the cut-off numbers for your Geographic region each month in the Visa Bulletin and keep an eye on your email. The Consular Service do not post your notification letter anymore.
(When you get through on the first round, you will be issued a Case Number, eg: 2014EU00012345[/U][/B], of which the last 5-6 digits (12345) is your Visa Number)

I know how many where issued for here.

When you speak (we) is it you and husband, boyfriends family or (we) as the 175 people in ireland

slinkypink

We as in my husband and I, we came in under one application.

cena

slinkypink wrote: »

We as in my husband and I, we came in under one application.

Thanks for clearing. You had me confused for a minute