The U.S. Green Card Lottery Is Basically Unwinnable (HBO)

Olga Brudastova, Margot Sergent, and Samed Walker have spent the last six months waiting to see if they won the green card lottery. Today, they found out their fates.

Sergent is a 40-year-old musician and actress from France, who is currently in the U.S. on an "extraordinary abilities" visa. Brudastova came from Moscow in 2013 to pursue her doctorate in civil engineering at Columbia University on a student visa. And Walker traveled to United States after escaping violence in Ghana. He arrived at the U.S. Mexico border by way of South and Central America from Brazil, and is currently seeking asylum.

The green card lottery, known officially as the diversity visa program, was established by Congress as part of the Immigration Act of 1990. Its purpose is to increase the geographic and cultural diversity of the U.S. population, and the vast majority of applicants apply from their home country.

No other country in the world has a visa lottery like this, but the downside is that it’s almost impossible to win. In 2017, only around one quarter of 1 percent of applicants ended up with a green card.

Today, Olga, Margot, and Samed all logged on to the State Department website to get their verdicts. VICE News was there.

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[TheMrmoc]

I'm from Nigeria. My father applied and won 15 years ago. Now I'm a Doctor in the U.S. The green card lottery changed my life forever.

[matthewsantos]

Damn, I was born in the USA but these people are doing more to earn their place here than I ever have. I hope they make it.

[sickgringo]

Seriously, your viewers don't understand what 0, 25% is?

[andrewawadallah]

10 years ago, my uncle convinced my father to register for the lottery. My father didn’t want to do it as he had seen his brother apply 15 times without any luck. But, he ended up applying that year. We were chosen.

As a current medical student, I cannot be more grateful for my family’s decision to apply and come to the states. I now help other family members fill out the application, with special attention to my uncle❤

[Cocktailkatze]

My mother's friend was to be deported back to Iran from France, where she would have been in serious danger ( long story). She won the lottery a week before being deported. ❤

[rainofsunshine]

My family received one of these from Bangladesh and I was born in America. My brother has illnesses that could only competently be treated here. Never realized how lucky that was

[NathanSkates]

“Basically Unwinnable“ looks at comments of people saying that they won 😂

[susanbosibori]

I won mine in 2017 came to the us last year with my daughter! Pray and don’t give up. God bless

[alena]

We got selected in 2017 and currently live in New York :) My husband and I never won a single lottery in our lives before. I have no idea how we got so lucky because it was our first time applying for green card lottery and we didn't even expect to win considering all those stories of people who were trying to win for years.

[RonaldoisGOATED]

I won the green card. I work in Manhattan, have a decent salary, good healthcare, good food, great job, happy family. I'm happy. Thank you USA.

[DeadBeatCousin.]

I currently live in the United States and recently naturalized as a U.S CITIZEN from a Diversity Immigrant Visa Lottery (DV) that I won back in Liberia. I can't explain how it happened but i am grateful it did. Lord knows. 🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿

[astrojoshy]

As someone that will be applying for the green card lottery in 2 days, you native born Americans have no idea how privileged you guys are. I would do almost anything to move to the US. - From South Africa.

[seidadem]

I tried every year for 12 years and then boom. Jackpot! Now it's been 3 years in US. Great country, Great people! I'm grateful. Worth trying. . It cost you nothing.

[goldsupreme]

Im from Romania and i also applied for the green card but unfortunately i wasn't that lucky i haven't been selected.. but i wish good luck to all those who applied. :D

[victoriaknight]

This is crazy to think about. I’m an American citizen born and raised, but my parents are from Ghana. I remember I was interviewing my dad for a school project and found out it was through the visa lottery he was able to come here with my mom. Thank the lord for that happening as it gave me a life full of so many opportunities, especially with education. I never really understood/ appreciated how lucky/ privileged I am to be born here. Especially with finding out that only .25% of applicants get it. Just Insane, God Bless!

[josecarranza]

This is how I came into the U.S. from England. I came here in 1997 after winning the lottery, I was beyond happy.
And been an American citizen for decades now.

[ManMopol]

I feel blessed to have won this in 2011. Moved to the U.S from Nigeria. I’m now 20 years old

[brentbandrews]

I "won" the DV lottery in 2015 after trying off and on for about 9 years and I currently reside in Texas. Recently I was going through a bout of complacency and self doubt on my choice to come to the US but this video has made me even more determined to make the most of this opportunity and has made me even more thankful of how incredibly lucky I am.

[Multilovinglove]

My mother applied and won this lottery in West Africa (TOGO), lived in the U.S for 3 years then sent for us. This system is definitely based on luck in the end.

[johnniehasaproblem]

1/4 of 1%? Never heard someone describe a statistic as such lol