Information on the Diversity Visa Lottery, which is free to enter, is given out by the U.S. State Department
By Irish Echo Staff
It's the visa lottery with nine lives, or maybe even more.
The 2022 Diversity Visa Lottery is now accepting applications from eligible countries and that includes Ireland, the Republic and the North.
The lottery has been in the crosshairs of the Trump administration, but has managed to continue functioning nonetheless.
And while the number of Irish recipients has amounted to only 33 and 32 in the last two years respectively, the lottery stands at just about the only way an Irish person can apply on a general basis for legal entry to the United States.
In a release, the Coalition of Irish Immigration Centers stated that it was urging Irish nationals who are interested in immigrating to the United States to enter the 2022 Diversity Visa Lottery.
Stated the CIIC release: "The DV Lottery is a congressionally mandated program that provides up to 55,000 individuals with immigrant visas to the United States. Lottery winners may be eligible to obtain Green Cards and become permanent legal residents of the U.S.
"The DV-2022 registration period opens at noon EDT on Wednesday, October 7, 2020 and runs until noon EDT on Tuesday, November 10, 2020.
"All information, including eligibility criteria and program instructions for DV-2022 can be found on the U.S. Department of State website: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/diversity-visa-program-entry/diversity-visa-instructions.html.
"Individuals planning to enter the DV Lottery need to remember the following: Entries are only submitted online via the U.S. Department of State website within the registration period at www.dvlottery.state.gov; There is no charge for submitting an entry; Entrants now need a valid, current passport from their country of origin to complete the online application."
The release advised: "Remember to retain your confirmation number received after submission - it is needed to check entry status; Always seek reliable support! Find your local Irish center here: ciic-usa.org/find-your-local-irish-center; Be wary of fraudulent companies and 3rd party entities trying to take advantage of immigrants for monetary gain; Know that not everyone who is selected in the lottery will receive a green card, and 3rd parties cannot increase chances of a positive outcome."
The CIIC release sated that it was "of note" that Ireland had the lowest number of entrants in the DV-2021 as recorded in the last 15 years. Additionally, there were half as many entries overall last round as there had been in previous years.
"There are limited pathways for Irish nationals to emigrate to the United States. The DV Lottery is an opportunity that should be taken greater advantage of," said Aileen Leonard Dibra, CIIC Executive Director.
"As we always remind people, those individuals that are interested in coming to the U.S. should enter the DV Lottery each year. The process is free and completed online. There is nothing to lose. Do not miss your opportunity to enter. If you have questions, our centers throughout the United States are available to provide guidance."
More at www.ciic-usa.org
