Participation of Moldovans in Green Card lottery is extremely low

The citizens of the Republic of Moldova are not enough informed about the Green Card lottery organized by the State Department of USA and because of this fact a low participation rate is attested, the General Consultant of the American Club in Moldova, Igor Koval declared on Monday, June 19, at a press conference. According to Koval, many aspects of the Green Card lottery are little known by the Moldovan citizens, and because of this can be easily misled or cheated. Many times, they are promised to obtain visa through some persons affirming to have the possibility to influence this process. This fact is impossible because the winners are chosen randomly by a computer, states Koval. According to him, internet is also an imminent source of swindle. Certain web pages propose including one into the lottery after paying a sum of money, fact that also breaks the rules of the lottery because the participation is absolutely free. A frequent situation in the last years is when the “lucky ticket” is not received by the winners, but by an intermediary company, which proposes further to “buy it back”, with sums of money between 2500 and 5000 USD. Koval recommended avoiding any kinds if intermediaries, the only expenses for the applicants in the lottery are related to the departure to Bucuresti and consultations at the US consulate and further purchase of the ticket to USA. Koval underlined the fact that the lack of information is the essential factor that determines the low participation of Moldovan citizens in the lottery. In this year, only 4000 Moldovans submitted applications, although for the Republic of Moldova is allowed a quota of solicitations amounting to 55.000. Moldova is included in the European region, all the countries being separated in 6 regional groups: Africa, Asia, Europe, Southern and Northern America and Oceania. Taking into consideration the fact that Europe is a region with a relatively small migration level, for the European region are allocated 50% of the total number of visas, about 25 000. One of the rules of the Green Card lottery says that the countries where more than 5000 persons emigrated in the last 5 years can not participate. This year some countries that do not participate are Russia, Canada, China, Great Britain (excepting Northern Ireland) etc. Green Card is the unofficial name of the Permanent Resident Card (PRC), document which confirms the legal statute of the persons living in USA. The PRC visa is a plastic card, similar as size to a credit card, including personal information and the photo of the owner. The card is offered in the moment when the winner arrives to USA. Legally, the statute of the Green Card holder is practically the same as the one of an US citizen, excepting the right to vote. The winners have the right to live, work and learn in USA, to move freely on the territory of the country, having at the same time the right to enter without visa more than 100 countries with which USA signed agreements on this issue, inclusively European. The obligations of a Green Card holder is respecting all federal laws, paying taxes etc. The lottery is organized annually, and the participation requests can be submitted in autumn, during two months – September to December on the web page www.usamoldclub.com or to the headquarters of the American Club in Moldova (Ion Creanga Street 82/1, office 48).