# How easy/difficult is it to emigrate to America?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-easy-difficult-is-it-to-emigrate-to-america/236431>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 25, 2004, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-easy-difficult-is-it-to-emigrate-to-america/236431 "2004-03-25T21:33:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-easy-difficult-is-it-to-emigrate-to-america/236431/21 "2004-03-29T10:56:40Z")

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OK. We’ll take this clause by clause.

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> if you were born in an ineligible country

Which you were - you were born in Britain

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> but neither of your parents was born there

Your mother wasn’t born there - she was born in Ireland. Was your father born there (Britain)? If so, sorry, you’re not eligible. If however he wasn’t born in Britain, go onto the next clause:

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> or [neither of your parents] resided there at the time of your birth

Were your parents living in Britain at the time you were born? If so, you aren’t eligible.

This exception to the nativity rule is for people who have _no connection to a country_ other than that their mother happened to be physically present in it at the time of their birth. It’s for people whose parents were essentially just passing through the country when they were born. Obviously, this is a really, really small number of people - and it’s intended to be. The State Department likes to keep things easy.

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**Author:** ![Lobelia\_Overhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/54ee81/32.png) [@Lobelia\_Overhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobelia_Overhill)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-easy-difficult-is-it-to-emigrate-to-america/236431/22 "2004-03-29T19:34:30Z")

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OK so does that mean I can’t emigrate, or just that I don’t qualify for a Green Card?

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**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-easy-difficult-is-it-to-emigrate-to-america/236431/23 "2004-03-29T19:42:35Z")

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It just means that you don’t qualify for the Diversity Visa. The other routes to US residence (marriage or employment based) would still be open to you if you could find a sponsor.

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