A person nearly gave up on the American dream, left the US broke and mentally exhausted, and yet ended up winning the green card lottery out of nowhere.
A social media user recently shared his story, claiming he entered the US on a Work and Travel visa, then switched to F1 to see if he could make it work. But anxiety, no work permit, and no insurance pushed him to the edge—and he finally self-deported, just under the 180-day overstay limit.
To make it worse, he had $10,000 in credit card debt, an unpaid speeding ticket, and had completely given up on returning to America. But less than a year later his fortune turned around and he won the Diversity Visa lottery for a green card.
Now he’s stuck wondering if his messy exit will ruin his second chance. And honestly, it just might.
Credit card debt isn’t a crime, so it won’t block a green card. But under the current political climate, especially with Trump back, even minor issues could become big red flags.
A missed traffic court date in New York may have been nothing once—but today, that could be enough to delay or derail his case. Especially when immigrant students are getting punished for far less.
This story shows just how random and ruthless the US immigration system really is. The opportunity may come back, but is it even worth walking back into the same chaos again?
