How to join green card lottery

JAKARTA (JP): Many people are still confused about how to apply to the diversity visa lottery, more popularly known as the green card lottery.

It is free and there is no special application form to fill out, so all are welcome to apply to the program.

Here are the requirements and brief tips on how to apply to the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV-2000). For further details, you can open the U.S. Embassy website at http://www.usembassyjakarta.org.

* The DV-2000 registration period will last from noon on Oct. 1, 1998 until noon on Oct. 31, 1998. Entries received before or after these dates will be disqualified regardless of when they are postmarked.

* Natives of the following countries are not eligible to apply: Canada, China (mainland and Taiwan, except Hong Kong), Colombia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, the Philippines, Poland, South Korea, the United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, and Vietnam.

* Participants can only submit one entry.

* An applicant must have either a high school education or its equivalent, or within the past five years have two years of work experience in an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience.

* The entry must be typed or clearly printed in the English alphabet on a sheet of plain paper. It must include:

1. Full name, with the last (surname/family) name underlined.

2. Date and place of birth.

3. Participants who claim nativity in a country other than their place of birth must mark the difference on their applications. This also applies to applicants who claim nativity through spouses or parents.

4. Name, date and place of birth of the applicants' spouse and children (if any).

5. Full mailing address. A telephone number is optional but useful.

* The mailing address for all applications is the same, except for the Zip Code. Applications should be posted to:

DV-2000 Program

National Visa Center

Portsmouth, N.H. Zip Code (see below)

U.S.A.

* The Zip Code varies according to from where applicants are applying. They are as follows: Asia (00210); South America /Central America/Caribbean (00211); Europe (00212); Africa (00213); Oceania (00214) and North America (00215).

* Only successful applicants will be notified by mail at the address listed on their entry. For DV-2000, notification will be sent to the winners between April and July, 1999.

The National Visa Center typically receives between six to seven million qualified entries during the registration period. (edt)