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Immigrating to the USA is a dream that can technically come true. Established by the Immigration Act of 1990, the notorious Diversity Visa Program, which is also known as the Green Card lottery, has been one of the most well-known immigration programs in Morocco. The annual U.S. government program grants immigrants the right to live, work and study in the vast country. According to the Migration Policy Institute, it also awards 50,000 green cards to individuals from six regions that include Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America and Oceania.
The program that holds the objective of diversifying American immigration numbers has gained a lot of popularity among Moroccans. As we contacted the American Embassy in Rabat, Jessica Dancel, the Assistant Information Officer, told Yabiladi that 900 Moroccans have been awarded the Diversity Visa in 2015. Relying on official statistics provided by the US Homeland Security website, in total 3,710 Moroccan nationals obtained «lawful permanent resident status by board class of admission and region of birth» during the same year. Compared to the previous years, the number of Moroccans gaining Green Card has been increased moving from 3,336 in 2013 to 3,605 in 2014.
Immigrating to the land of opportunities
The recent statistics indicate that 298 Moroccans have received a US visa for «Family-Sponsored References», 131 obtained it also for «Employment-Based References», 2,350 for being «Immediate relatives of the U.S. Citizens» and 18 were granted the green card as «Refugees and Asylees».
The process of immigrating to another country is not limited to receiving a visa, however, it is also linked to the immigrant’s ability to integrate in the new society. According to Jessica Dancel, the U.S. government does not provide integration programs for all the immigrants that are assigned a green card visa. «For refugees and asylum seekers, the resettlement program or NGOs that facilitated their travel to the US generally provide integration services (Catholic services, etc.), local community or state-based entities provide assistance», Dancel told Yabiladi.
According to the Migration Policy Institute (MPI), 84,000 immigrants and their children are living in the United States of America. The Washington DC-based think tank reports that : «Most Moroccan immigrants are working age, and few among them are minors or senior citizens. Moroccan diaspora members who are in the labor force are about as likely as the general U.S. population overall to be employed, and their educational attainment is similar.»
