In the annual State Department green-card lottery that awards permanent-resident status to prospective immigrants via random drawing, New York's government is very proactive in seeking out new immigrants and becomes home for 12% of lottery winners.
Launched in 1990 to promote diversity in the immigrant population, the green-card lottery is now open to people from almost anywhere in the world, except countries that already boast a large number of nationals in the U.S., including Mexico, China, India and the Philippines.