This archive report was first published on 4 July 2020.
On July 4, 2020, the Trump administration announced a decision to extend a ban on many green cards issued outside the US to the end of the year, dealing a significant blow to thousands of Diversity Visa Lottery winners.
The ban, which was first introduced in June 2020, aims to free up jobs for American citizens in the wake of the economic turmoil created by the Covid-19 pandemic. However, critics have dismissed the assertion that the move will open up at least 525,000 employment opportunities for US citizens.
One of those affected by the ban is Noha, an Egyptian engineer who was among the 55,000 DV-2020 entrants who received a chance to live permanently in the US. Noha and her family had been preparing to move to the US, but their hope was dashed when the ban was extended.
"All my plans were collapsed in an instant. I felt that all what we have achieved went for nothing," Noha told the Associated Press (AP).
The vetting process, which cost Noha's family about $10,000, is still ongoing, and many DV-2020 recipients are yet to complete it. The situation leaves Noha in a dilemma as she has to choose between going alone to New York and remaining in Egypt with her family.
