QUALIFICATIONS

To enter there are only two qualifications:

1. You must have been born in an eligible country. Citizenship or place of residence is not material. If you were not born in an eligible country, you may claim your spouse's country of birth. A "common-law" marriage is recognized if the country where the relationship occurs recognizes it. Alternatively, you may claim either of your parent's country of birth if neither of your parents was a native or resident of your ineligible birth country. For instance, if they were visiting or temporarily in that country when you were born.
2. You must have EITHER a high school education or its equivalent, which is successful completion of a 12-year course of elementary and secondary education; OR two years experience within the past five years in an occupation requiring at least two years of training or experience.

Ineligible countries:

The program is NOT open to people born in the following countries, as these countries sent more than 50,000 immigrants to the United States in the past 5 years:

CANADA, CHINA, COLOMBIA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, EL SALVADOR, HAITI, INDIA, JAMAICA, MEXICO, PAKISTAN, THE PHILIPPINES, POLAND, RUSSIA, SOUTH KOREA, UNITED KINGDOM, and VIETNAM.

People born in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and Northern Ireland are eligible.