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The number of Moroccans who have taken part in the Diversity Visa program for the “green card” has reached about 300,000, a number that has grown significantly over the past three years, according to new statistics from the State Department.
According to these figures, 293,708 Moroccans, women and men, participated in the draw for America last year, against 286,421 candidates in 2017.
The increasing number of Moroccans participating in this international lottery shows the number of participants in 2016, who did not exceed 201,964 candidates. In two years, the number of participants increased by about 100,000.
However, the number is slightly higher in neighboring Algeria, where the number of people applying for the Diversity Visa issued by the US government is about 342,857 in 2018, compared to 252,733 in 2017 and 204,433 in 2016.
In Tunisia, the number of participants in the lottery did not exceed 25,587 during the past year, compared with 24,446 in 2017 and 23,533 in 2016. The number in Mauritania drops to 7264 in the past year, compared to 5111 in 2017 and about 2980 in 2016.
Not only does the annual US draw involve developing countries. Applications come from around the world, with 70,000 people from France over the past year, 92,000 from Germany and 12,000 from Sweden.
Ghana’s citizens topped the list of more than 2.2 million participants over the past year, followed by Uzbekistan with 2.1. Iran ranked third with 1.6, while Ukraine was fourth with 1.4.
According to US State Department figures, the number of people participating in the migration round from around the world reached 23 million last year, compared with 19 million in 2017 and 17.5 million in 2016, but only about 50,000 people are selected worldwide. In Morocco, about 1,000 people are lucky each year.
For years, the US Diversity Visa Lottery has become part of a State Department digital site, and the US government has set out a number of visa requirements, including a minimum of one baccalaureate. US President Donald Trump plans to introduce further amendments to the lottery system.
Green Card holders enjoy all the rights available to Americans, with the exception of the right to vote and stand for election. They have the right to work legally, benefit from health, education, retirement and social security, and can apply for US citizenship.
