Immigration reform discussions in the U.S. Congress have suggested that serious changes are coming to the American immigration system.
A valid question to consider may be whether or not the Green Card itself is in danger of becoming an artifact of 20th century immigration policy.
Really, the Green Card as a document (Permanent Resident Card) isn’t in much risk of disappearing, but certain programs designed to give Green Cards to immigrants may be phased out and others implemented.
However, the destiny of the U.S. immigration system is currently up in the air and does not endanger the 2015 Green Card Lottery. The registration period for this program is coming up in the fall.
The Future of the Green Card Lottery
One of the most frequently discussed aspects of U.S. immigration during reform debates has been the Green Card Lottery.
The lottery is an annual program that gives about 50,000 Green Cards to people all over the world. These Green Cards are specifically given to immigrants from countries which have historically low numbers of immigrants to the U.S.
Because the lottery is based on increasing diversity instead of merit, many congress-people have suggested its dissolution.
While other politicians oppose this idea, they may compromise on the issue and let the lottery lapse to create a pathway to permanent residency for the nearly 12 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S.
While it is uncertain, 2013 could very well be the last year of the Green Card Lottery.
Applicants should register as soon as they can to ensure that they are ready for the impending registration period.
STEM Visas
One proposed alternative to giving out 50,000 Green Cards in the Diversity Visa Lottery has been to give them to STEM students.
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics and this has been lauded as a more merit-based alternative to the lottery.
Opponents claim that the insistence that someone have something to offer to enter the country is contrary to American values.