Some people buy lottery tickets. Others gamble at casinos. And then there’s me—one day, lying on the couch, thinking that life had to be about more than just working and studying, and deciding to enter the Green Card Lottery to try my luck. The prize? A permit to live and work in the United States.
Okay. Put that way, it sounds surreal. Imagine how many people see the United States as a place to start a new life. So many that the government has decided to raffle off up to 55,000 visas among them every year.
Spoiler: More than 15 million people from all over the world participate every year.
It was an impossible challenge I took on because of that saying: “If you’re not lucky in love, you’re lucky in gambling.” So off I went to follow the instructions in English; take a photo at home with my Canon camera; and get my passport because, you know, luck favors those who take risks.
What if I move to the United States?
Along the way, I discovered that the statistical probability of winning is so low that you’re more likely to win the EuroMillions than to get a green card.
I also discovered the incredible number of agencies that want to charge you for a process you can do yourself by following the official instructions. Okay, maybe they know something I’m missing, which is why I’m still in Spain while some of their clients live in Florida; but I don’t trust certain “companies.” Sorry but not sorry.
What did I do wrong? It probably wasn’t the only thing, but the photo is CRUCIAL. So don’t be like me—go to a photography studio that knows exactly what kind of photo you need to apply for a Green Card.
The funny thing is that, once the gods smile upon you and you turn out to be the lucky one, take a deep breath and read carefully. That does NOT mean you’re going to live in the United States. You’ve only passed the first phase. Next come the interviews, the paperwork, and the job search.
The advantage, so to speak, is that the processing times for the Green Card Lottery are usually faster than those for a standard visa application.
Even so, since I’m stubborn (and, secret, I was in love with an American man), I tried for two years in a row until I accepted that I wasn’t going to get either a work permit there or the American guy (that darn guy with the beautiful smile who broke my heart).
By the way, you can read more articles in English here!
