Lang’ata MP Felix Odiwuor aka Jalang’o had earlier claimed that more than 30 million Kenyans had applied for a US green card, painting a picture of despair in the country.
The figures he claimed are more than 50 percent of the total Kenyan population which stood well over 50 million in the last census period.
“Thirty million Kenyans have applied for the Green Card lottery. So only 20 million of us want to live in Kenya. Is it that bad?” he asked on his Twitter social where he enjoys a following of 698k.
His claims elicited mixed reactions from Kenyan netizens even as radio stations went on to make the Green Card lottery a topic of discussion. However, official data from the US Department of State on the Diversity Visa Programme contradicts Jalas’ earlier sentiments.
The DoS claims that the number of Kenyan applicants barely even hit the 200,000 mark. Furthermore, figures and estimates show that the number of Kenyans who have been applying for the Diversity Visa has drastically dropped over the past few years.
In 2021, the numbers stand at 173,218 while for 202 the numbers were 570,081 and in 2019 figures were 443,773.
A green card entitles a holder to permanent status to live and work in the United States. It can be obtained through a job in the US, a family reunion with US relatives, a large investment in a US company, or by winning the Green Card lottery.
Simplified, a green card is a fresh start to life in a different country; the US, while living a guaranteed sustainable and carefree life.
According to the DoS statistics, 4,877,931 Africans applied for a green card this time round, a significantly huge drop from 10,877,791 and 11,315,826 both in 2019 and 2020 respectively.
Kenya failed to feature in the top 5 countries applying from Africa. The highest African entries were from Egypt (872,505), Congo-Kinshasa (747,773), Ethiopia (546,613), Sudan (391,335) and Ghana (380,449).
Nigeria has been blacklisted from applying for the Diversity Visa green card program since 2015.
Over 30 million Kenyans applied for US Green Card, Jalang’o claims
As of now, statistics show that 11,830,707 people applied for the DV green card, a drop from 22,425,053 applicants in 2019 and 23,183,554 in 2020.
It shows that 2,353,280 people from Asia made applications, Europe (3,915,557), North America (1,672), Oceania (28,072) while South America, Central America, and the Caribbean had 654,195 entrants.
The US Department of State issued a disclaimer on the website that the totals do not represent the number of diversity visas issued nor the number of selected entrants.
Here are some of the advantages of having an American Green card:
- Unlimited residency in the US
- Unlimited work permit in the US
- Unlimited and easy entry and exit without a visa
- Eligibility for medical care benefits, government assistance after 5 years as a green card holder’
- The right to study at a US university without risk and up to 80% cheaper than without a green card
- The possibility of federal loans for students
- Crisis security: Green Card holders are usually not affected by travel embargoes
- Uncomplicated obtaining of business and commercial licenses
- Family members (spouses and unmarried children under 21) are automatically eligible for a Green Card as well
- Application for US citizenship is possible after 3/5 years
