United States President, Donald Trump has called for an end to the American Visa Lottery and the introduction of a merit-based immigration, a system which is currently being practiced in Australia.

In his maiden State of the Union address to a joint session of the US Congress in Washington DC on Tuesday, Trump said the American Visa Lottery was a program which randomly hands out green cards without any regard for skill, merit and safety of the American people.

“It is time to begin moving towards a merit – based immigration system – one that admits people who are skilled, who want to work, who will contribute to our society and who will love and respect our country,” Trump said.

Mr. Trump however offered a path to citizenship to Dreamers  which consists of 1.8 million illegal immigrants brought to the US by their parents at a young age. The proposition has angered even members of his own Republican Party.