Diversification Visa, or DV-lottery for USA,

This is the official name of the US Green card lottery in English. If you wish to be doing the google search, use these words. You will then find the US DV-lottary official site, asking you to upload your biometric photo first. Your both ears will be visible, head open, no glasses, no earrings. Then you respond to the questions on the screen. Do you have any criminal record? What is your education? Did you use drugs, narcotics in the past? Are you deported from any country? Registration then is over. There is no charge for lottery application. There is no need for an intermediary firm to help.

Last weekend we were sitting in front of the computer to see what it was. We had internet page open. So we looked at it to understand what was going on. We looked for a place for ourselves as if we have already won the lottery. Kids preferred California, Florida, whereas I preferred less populated places like Montana, Oregon, Wisconsin, Colorado, with plenty of natural resources, fewer populations. Educational health services are relatively better, and racism is relatively less.

Next morning I looked at Wikipedia information. The US is looking for young population and diverse ethnic identities. They upfront eliminate applications from Britain, Bangladesh, Mexico, Vietnam, as such countries that have already sent many immigrants earlier from the lottery list.

In 2013, from Turkey we had 1600+ lottery winners out of 170 thousand applications. Last year, we had 3000 lottery winners out of 300 thousand applications. This year they are expecting 500 thousand applications from Turkey. There are 6-7 million applications per year in the whole world. 100 thousand lottery winners comes out, half of them are eliminated due to various reasons, impossibilities. Eventually each year 50 thousand people can go. In other words, there is chance of 1% lottery in the world average. So there is no need to be overly optimistic.

There is no burden on the US budget due to this lottery. At the beginning, lottery organizers already make a pre-selection. Why should they accept people with old age, or at retired age, or unable to speak English. Young, healthy, English speaking people are probably their first choice.

I looked at those who had won DV- lottery around my friends. Those winners are all in this category, all young, all educated people. We spend their education expenses here, we send those educated young bright people there. Sad to say, we can not create the environment to keep those trained people here. Is this place where they will be immigrating any better than here? Social security, proper health care coverage, I doubt it. Here, there is your friend circle, you have your dentist, your family doctor, your car mechanic, plumber, electrician. Good or bad, you have public transportation here. There is train, subway, municipality transportation. In the US there is only car transportation, if you do not have a private car, you are miserable. Do they have democracy in the United States? Is it a paradise to live in? I do think that Europe's democratic practice is much better.

When lottery results are announced, within a certain period of time those lottery winners are expected to sell all their properties here, accumulating all in cash, paying airplane tickets from their pocket and they will be going. They will have working and living permit in the USA. They live in the US for 5- uninterrupted years, they do not get out of the US for 5-years, they do not get involved in any criminal offense, they even pay attention not even to get traffic tickets. They get citizenship after 5 years. But all in all they are the first generation immigrants. In order to be a real US citizen, they should be born in the USA.

After Donald Trump won the US elections in November 8, large number of US citizens applied to the Canadian immigration website. Canadian internet page has collapsed. Would you like to live in a country run by Donald Trump? Consider this new situation as well. It is an ironic situation. There are sarcastic news that "Migration is starting backwards". Canadian residence permit applications are under 26-month review. Canadians make jokes that they will be building a new wall between the United States to stop illegal immigrations.

Having lived abroad for a long time earlier, being a long-time immigrant does not please me. My age is getting old. It is not easy to rearrange it, find a new job, get a job, build a new business to earn money, all not so easy.

There are news in the local media that special passport coverage will be expanded. Special Passports do not have any meaning for most countries. Whether it is special or normal passport, there are no passport visa exemptions for USA, UK, Canada, Australia, China, Russia anyway. What will happen soon if foreign countries exempt visa exemption of all passports altogether?

Russian market has not been opened yet, visa applications continued. Do not believe in the media news as prepared at the table without any backup proof.

Already after 8-November US presidential elections, Obama and his team are going to leave public duty. Public duties do not last forever.

There are certain wear and tear times. Life is cruel. Human life has a limit. Everything ends in one day, all ends are renewed.

It is unchanging the change itself. Someday everything will change.

Payback of everything, bonus, honor, reward and punishment are given and taken while living in this world.

You should not be discouraged in facing of prevailing economic difficulties. We're not going anywhere, we are not leaving. We had difficulties in this country in the past. We have suffered so much. We have worked, created jobs, money, property, wealth, we have established and run business.

Tough days will pass one day. We will make more production, generate more wealth. This country is ours. Stronger and richer Turkey is waiting for us. All will be created within Democracy and thanks to the Republic.

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Haluk Direskeneli, is a graduate of METU Mechanical Engineering department (1973). He worked in public, private enterprises, USA Turkish JV companies (B&W, CSWI, AEP), in fabrication, basic and detail design, marketing, sales and project management of thermal power plants. He is currently working as freelance consultant/ energy analyst with thermal power plants basic/ detail design software expertise for private engineering companies, investors, universities and research institutions. He is a member of ODTÜ Alumni and Chamber of Turkish Mechanical Engineers Energy Working Group.

Prinkipo, November 23, 2016