How to apply for the visa lottery (01/26/97)

How to apply for the visa lottery

The following information on the 1998 Diversity Visa Lottery is taken from "A Consumer Guide to the 1997 'DV-98' Permanent-Resident Visa Lottery," published by the City of New York.

From February 3 to March 5, 1997, the United States Department of State will run the "DV-98" Diversity Visa Lottery to award 55,000 permanent-resident visas ("green cards"). The Diversity Visa Lottery program was established by the Immigration Act of 1990 to help expand the number of countries from which new immigrants to the United States originate.

Being selected by the lottery does not guarantee you a permanent-resident visa. It does, however, make you eligible to apply for it immediately.

Applying to the lottery program is free, with winners selected randomly by computer.

Excluded countries

The visa lottery will be open to anyone abroad or in the U.S., except for natives of these countries:

Canada, China (except Hong Kong), Columbia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, India, Jamaica, Mexico, the Philippines, Poland, South Korea, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, Vietnam.

Some people from excluded countries may be eligible. For example, if your spouse is from an eligible country you may also be eligible. For further information about eligibility exceptions, call the N.Y. Immigration Hotline at (718) 899-4000.

Eligibility requirements

In order to qualify for the lottery each applicant must:

have a high school education (or its equivalent - not a GED) or two years' experience in an occupation requiring two years of training, with that experience being attained within the past five years;
submit only one application; more than one will result in automatic disqualification;
mail the application so that it arrives between February 3 and March 5, 1997 (any application received before or after these dates will be discarded);
Mail the application in an envelope that is 6 to10 inches long and 3 1/2-4 1/2 inches wide (15 to 25 cm long by 9 to 11 cm wide).

How to apply

Each applicant should provide the following personal information in English on a plain sheet of paper:

Applicant's last name (underlined), first name, middle name.
Applicant's date and place of birth. Birthdate must include day, month and year of birth.
Birthplace must include city or town and country of birth.
Names, dates and places of birth of applicant's spouse and unmarried children under the age of 21.
Applicant's complete mailing address (and a daytime telephone number if possible);
Applicant's native country if different from country of birth.
A recent photograph of applicant, 1 1/2 by 1 1/2 inches square, with his/her name printed on back. The photograph should be taped to the application with clear tape, not stapled or paper-clipped.
Applicant's signature.

Where to send application

Mail all applications to:
DV-98 Program
National Visa Center
Portsmouth, NH 002XX*
*You must use the zip code for your native/eligible region as follows:

Asia - 00210
Caribbean Islands, Central and South
America - 00211
Europe - 00212
Africa - 00213
Oceania - 00214
North America, the Bahamas - 00215

How to mail

Use only regular or air mail, or your application will be refused.

The return address should read as follows:

Your Country of Birth
Your Full Name
Your Street Address
City, Province, Postal Code
Country of Residence

Winners will be notified by mail by August 1997 and will receive instructions explaining the procedures to apply for a permanent-resident visa.

If you are selected, apply immediately. More than 55,000 names may be selected, but only the first 55,000 eligible winners who apply will receive the visas.

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