The article has been automatically translated into English by Google Translate from Russian and has not been edited.

Personal experience: I won the green card and left for America forever

'12.05.2021'

Source: NGS24

It’s not easy to settle down in another state: everyone speaks a different language, uses different money and documents, they live differently. In addition, to become a citizen, you need either a lot of luck, or a unique work experience, which is in demand in a particular country.

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The heroines of our today's material are girls who literally won the lottery the opportunity to live in another country - in the USA, writes NGS24.ru.

What does it mean to win an opportunity to live in the USA? Every year, the American government holds a lottery in which it plays a residence permit in its country. The goal is to increase America’s cultural and ethnic diversity. Approximately 55 thousands of people from different countries have the opportunity to win this lottery by receiving a green card (this is the identity of a US resident who has a residence permit). You can submit an application only one month a year - in October, and then until May of the next year, all these applications are checked and made a decision. The results of the last lottery became known 8 May.

Two former residents of Krasnoyarsk, who won the lottery a few years ago, shared their experience of moving. They talked about emigration spending, housing and food prices, and an overseas lifestyle.

Aksinya Chuvashova, 25 years:

In October, 2013, I left a request on the site, and 2 in May 2014-th results became known - it turned out that I won! I started to prepare, in February 2015, I was interviewed at the consulate, and in July I left. I was given a visa for six months to go to the United States, and the green card itself was released after I crossed the border. I went to the city of Spokane in the state of Washington, where my friends lived, for the first month she stayed with them.

I had 8 thousand dollars with me, this money was enough to start renting housing and even buying a car.

Another month I went to college, where I pulled up my English. I knew the language before, but in practice I did not use it, so the college helped me a lot. The specialty there was called English as secondary language, English as a second language. Before entering, I passed the test, I was determined to the last level, a month later I received a diploma. She found a job as a specialist in working with clients and while still working here.

I like the place where I live - the residents here have sports and health in the first place, high salaries, and a good climate. Spending, in my opinion, does not differ much from Russian, something is more expensive, but something is cheaper. The minimum wage in our state is $ 15 per hour (not mine), a cup of coffee costs about the same as in Krasnoyarsk cafes. And for a standard set of products - milk, eggs, cheese, sausage, vegetables, fruits and berries, meat, cereals, bread and water - it costs $ 50 a week. So count how many people, even with the minimum wage, have free money. After two years of living in the States, I borrowed a car for 30 thousand dollars, and now I am looking at the house.

In Spokane a large Russian-speaking community, about 50 thousands of people. But it is better not to try to move without a language.

If you won the lottery - start saving money, a lot of money. And learn English around the clock. You can try another from Russia to look for work in the United States to prepare the ground for the move. And of course, you need to be mentally prepared, moving to a new place. You study all your life in Russia to work there, make friends, and here you have nothing. No friends, no job, because you don’t really need anyone, you have enough of your own with language and American education.

I wanted to leave Russia, I thought how to do it, but all of a sudden it all happened so well. I left as soon as I graduated from university. I have never been to the USA before. There are some disadvantages here: for example, the tax does not include the cost of goods, therefore, paying for purchases at the checkout, you should understand that the amount will be higher.

The most inconvenient is the English system of measurement in miles, pounds, inches, feet, and so on.

One can only get used to this: after 3 years of living here, I already know that I need 16 ounces of coffee, it's warm outside, if the thermometer is above 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and my height is 5,3 feet. In everyday terms, this is the only negative, but the most significant is, of course, that I am far from home, that there is a big time difference with Krasnoyarsk and there is rarely an opportunity to reach friends. But I regularly fly to Russia - on vacation or on business trips. Once a year my parents fly to me. And this year I will go on vacation, to the World Cup, and then in the fall - on a business trip.

Olga moved from Krasnoyarsk almost two years ago.

Olga, 25 years:

I moved to the United States a year and a half ago, in August 2016. I have already been here before, traveled under the Work & Travel program, but I cannot say that then the country delighted me. Before the trip, I took an English course with a native speaker, I did not understand the American accent at all and all summer could not wait to go home. When I returned, I told everyone that I would never live in the United States, I would return there only as a tourist, but I still filled out the lottery application out of curiosity, since while I was there, I met many compatriots who had moved to America in this way. Despite this, my win seemed somehow impossible to me, but I won and was shocked, since I didn't really need it. But she was delighted and decided: since there is such an opportunity, it should not be missed.

Winning the lottery is the cheapest and easiest way to immigrate, although, of course, you need an impressive amount of money with you.

I had to spend money on certified translation of documents, tickets to Moscow, an interview at the embassy, ​​a consular fee and tickets to New York in one direction. It was also necessary to undergo a medical examination in a special medical institution - in the Kremlin hospital, where they give you the results of the examination in a sealed envelope, which is opened and looked already in the embassy. I did it all myself, but there are agencies that help with the collection of documents. The process itself was simple, the interview was simple, they just asked me where I was going and what I would do. It is important to provide them with proof of the availability of money, as many upon arrival pay for themselves benefits, live and do not pay taxes. Then there may be problems with obtaining citizenship. Upon arrival, too, no one helps, you go where you want, do what you want. American passport is given only after obtaining citizenship, to which I can apply only after five years.

Olga now lives in New York.

I immediately went to live in Boston, where I had already been, - there remained friends and acquaintances. They helped find a job, but a month later it got boring there and I left for New York. There I was alone and I did not have anyone, I was looking for housing and work myself. The first month was hard, and then everything was fine. In Krasnoyarsk, I learned to be a logistics man at SibSAU; it turned out that this is a very popular profession here. I was pleasantly surprised, because a year ago I passed the exams to enroll for a bachelor’s degree, but it turned out that my diploma allows you to go straight to the master’s degree, so I refused to enroll in the following year and go to study at the magistracy.

American life, of course, captures the possibilities - living in New York, you feel in the center of the world, here you can bring everything to life, if you make an effort.

The city has its pros and cons. Of the benefits are great career opportunities, many educational institutions, and lots of entertainment - parks, museums, and restaurants. By cons, I attribute high competition, prices, high tax. The climate is not very pleasant: the temperature is warm, but strong and cold wind, high humidity.

The cost of living here, of course, is high. Minimum mid-level studio rental is 1100 dollars in the suburbs and 2000 in Manhattan. I myself live in Brooklyn, buying organic products. On average, 1600 dollars are spent on housing, food, and subway fare per month - these expenses are comparable to the salaries they receive here.

There will never be such that a person is barely enough for basic needs.

In America, I work in customer service in a repair company. I do not learn the language - there is enough practice at work. The first time I did not like it, because the conditions and circumstances were unusual, it was my first trip to another country, I wanted to go home. This time I already knew for sure: now this is my home. And nothing pulled me back. I wanted global change, and I got it.

The biggest minus in the USA for me is the health care system.

This is a big business of doctors and insurance companies, there is no free medicine, they go to medical school for big money, and not because they want to become doctors. If you get to the hospital in an emergency without insurance, you can get a bill for tens of thousands of dollars. Also, the quality of beauty services is lower here than in Russia, and prices are much higher. And of course, taxes - you pay income tax, and it also goes to the total cost of purchases. So it turns out that you give almost half of the income to the state. But, as you understand, there are a lot of pluses.

In Russia, people are more sincere, open and sincere, Americans are friendly and polite, but this is more often disingenuous. But the Russians, it seems to me, are more evil and envious - I made such a conclusion when I was preparing to move.

When I said that I was leaving to live in the United States, I was told that there was a huge public debt, I would have to work as a waitress and in a year I would return with nothing.

I worry about Russia and Krasnoyarsk, I constantly watch the news and get upset when something bad happens. On the other hand, I am pleased with the fact that I watch from all this from the side and this has nothing to do with me anymore.

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