Diversity Visa Lottery makes Albanians’ dreams come true

Diversity Visa Lottery makes Albanians’ dreams come

Most people refer to America as the American Dream, but I believe it is more than that for Albanians. Albanians came in large numbers to the United States at the beginning of the 20th century. Knowing how far the Albanian homeland is from the United States, many Albanians risked their lives by illegally entering the country at the time. Today, illegal immigration it’s so rare or impossible, and what is helping Albanians to make their dreams come true is a visa called “Diversity Visa Lottery”. The Diversity Visa Program is administered by the Department of State as a way to increase the diversity of immigrants coming to live in the United States. It’s a way for individuals and families who otherwise wouldn’t have any way to legally immigrate to the United States to get a green card. Entering the Diversity Visa lottery involves filling out a simple form online, and it doesn’t cost anything. More than 240 000 Albanians have applied for the 2021 lottery. 

They are never tired of applying for it and most of them have applied more than 10 times. You can enter the lottery every year from early October to early November, and there is no limit to how many times you can apply. But there are two main requirements when applying for a Diversity Visa: Country of Birth and Education. To be eligible for the Diversity Visa, you must have been born in a country that sent less than 50 000 immigrants to the United States over the past 5 years. The second major requirement for Diversity Visa applicants is that you must have at least a higher school diploma. The Albanians have America, as a favorite destination to move to. The so-called “American Dream” is undoubtedly a record for Albanians, which is confirmed by a list of statistics published by the Diversity Visa Program. For 2021, Albanian counts 240 886 applicants and in 2020, there are 164 240 Albanians who have applied for Diversity Visa. Every year the number of Albanian citizens who have applied to enter the United States grows.                                   

Based on the article Albanian Community, there were many reasons why Albanians left their land. One reason was the economic problem the country was facing where many families were struggling to survive. Unfortunately, this is still the main reason why Albanians have the highest percentage of those who applied to this program. After the 2008 world economic crisis, the economic and political situation in Albania has been very depressing, and it is getting worse every day. America has been and continues to be Albanians’ favorite destination because they want a chance to experience a good democracy and better lives for their children and those generations after them.  

In my interview with my husband, Izmir, who won the Diversity Visa Lottery, I learned more about this visa program and if America is really what he expected. During that interview, he told me about his immigration experience from Albania to America. He came here alone when he just turned 18 years old with the hope that America will be a better place to live. I started the interview by asking the question, “Why America?”  “What made you decide to apply for the American lottery?”  He responded by saying: “I chose America because I always dreamed to come here and when I heard about Diversity Visa Lottery, I thought this can be a chance for my dream to come true. One reason that pushed me to apply was the economic situation that our country was facing at that time. His auntie who lives in New Jersey was the person who pushed him more to apply for this lottery. What surprised me more during this interview was the fact that his auntie, uncle, and his sister came to the United States through Diversity Visa Program. I think this family is the luckiest!                                                                                                Izmir was 17 years old at the time he applied for the lottery and one of the two requirements to apply for a Diversity Visa was and continues to be education. You must have at least a higher school diploma to be eligible for that visa, and he didn’t have the diploma yet at the time he applied. He was notified that he won the lottery a few months after submitting his entry.                          Instead of feeling happy, he was scared because he lied about his diploma. He was in higher school and need 6 more months to graduate. 

After the Embassy of the United States of America in Albania scheduled his interview, he had to prove that he has a higher school degree. Winning the lottery does not guarantee a visa because there are still complex processes to go through. So, he told me that after telling them the truth, they allowed him to finish school and get the diploma. After that, they will give him the visa and he must enter the United States on or before the expiration date printed on his visa. That’s why this program is called a lottery; when something is meant to be it will always find its way to you. 

Collepals.com Plagiarism Free Papers

Are you looking for custom essay writing service or even dissertation writing services? Just request for our write my paper service, and we'll match you with the best essay writer in your subject! With an exceptional team of professional academic experts in a wide range of subjects, we can guarantee you an unrivaled quality of custom-written papers.

Get ZERO PLAGIARISM, HUMAN WRITTEN ESSAYS

Why Hire Collepals.com writers to do your paper?

Quality- We are experienced and have access to ample research materials.

We write plagiarism Free Content

Confidential- We never share or sell your personal information to third parties.

Support-Chat with us today! We are always waiting to answer all your questions.