A new lottery for immigrant visas into the United States, which is open to people born in Ireland, will be held this year, the US embassy has announced. People selected under the diversity immigrant visa lottery programme can live and work in the US.
Worldwide, 50,000 immigrant visas are expected to be distributed through the lottery. No country can receive in one year more than 7 per cent of those available.
Applicants must have been born in the Republic or the North. Officials say "eligibility is determined by place of birth - not citizenship, nationality or residence". Successful applicants will have a pass Leaving Certificate or at least two years' work experience within the last five years in a skilled occupation as defined by the US department of labour.
Applicants "do not have to have an actual offer of employment, but must be of good health and character and be capable of supporting themselves in the US", the embassy said.
Entries must be mailed to the Kentucky Consular Center, Migrate, Kentucky, US. A full address can be obtained by calling the embassy's information numbers for the DV lottery: 01667 2707 and 01668 8049.
An information sheet can be collected from the consular section of the embassy or by sending a stamped addressed envelope. Information is also avail able on the embassy's website at www.usembassy.ie
Entries must be received between noon on October 1st, 2001, and noon on October 31st. Entries before or after these dates will be disqualified.
Only one entry from each person can be submitted. There are no application forms. Applicants can prepare the entry on a plain sheet of paper and must sign their name on the entry.
Recent photographs of the applicant, spouse and each child, including all natural children as well as all legally adopted and stepchildren, even if the children no longer live with the applicant, must be attached. The name and date of birth of each family member must be printed on the back of their photograph.
Group or family photos will not be accepted. Photographs must be taped to the entry using clear tape, not attached by staples or paper clips.
In a statement, the embassy said: "Although many persons and organisations advertise in newspapers promising to provide visa assistance or to help Irish people get green cards, the DV programme is a pure lottery."
Officials said: "We are aware that many of these so-called visa services charge exorbitant fees and make unrealistic claims. There are others who assist applicants for reasonable fees or sometimes for free. However, any service that claims it can improve an applicant's odds would be promising something it cannot deliver."