Breaking News Story

In May, the United States State Department decided to rescind their green card awards to 22,000 winners because of a glitch in the selection process. It was discovered that the individuals selected to receive a green card were almost entirely chosen from the group that applied in the first two days, rather than a random sampling of applicants throughout the 30 day application period. The State Department plans on re-drawing winners to replace the 22,000 original recipients, but recent petitions have brought to light the devastation of the individuals that thought they would have the opportunity to live in the US.

The applicants that were first awarded the right to apply for a green card are arguing that it is unfair to nullify the results of the original drawing and have requested that they be allowed to continue with their citizenship application process. The State Department, however, plans to ensure that the drawing is completely fair to all applicants and revoke the original awards.

Immigration attorney Ken White has requested that the 22,000 winners be granted green cards despite the glitch and suggests that the best solution is a second drawing to accommodate the rest of the applicants. This proposal has been met by the State’s Office of Inspector General and the issue is currently being reviewed.