The US embassy in Dublin has announced its Diversity Immigrant Visa lottery programme will be held this year.
Anyone selected by the lottery can apply for a US visa and therefore have the right to live and work there.
The registration period will be held from noon on October 7th, 2002 until noon on November 6th, 2002. All entries must be sent to the Kentucky Consular Centre and those selected will be informed between May and July 2003.
All entrants must have a pass leaving certificate or two years of work experience within the last five years in a skilled occupation. They must also be healthy and be capable of supporting themselves in the US.
There are no formal application forms and only one entry per applicant is permitted. They must personally sign and include a passport photo of themselves with their entry.
Embassy officials emphasise that place of birth is what counts and not citizenship.
About 50,000 immigrant visas will be distributed worldwide through the lottery scheme. Although the United Kingdom does not qualify for the programme Northern Ireland does because it is treated separately.
