Vol. 461 No. 6
57 Mr. M. Kitt asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the details or instruction, if any, on the Diversity Immigrant Visa Programme; the implications, if any, for Irish applicants; the warning, if any, that will issue on the use of outside intermediaries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3420/96]
The application period for diversity immigrant visas for the United States for the year October 1996 to September 1997 is 12 February to 12 March 1996. It is estimated that Ireland's share of the total of 55,000 visas available worldwide will be about 1,200.
Information about how to apply is available from the US Embassy in leaflet form or by telephoning 667 2707 or 668 8049 in Dublin.
People born in Ireland, North and South, are eligible to apply. An Irish citizen born in a country (e.g. Britain) whose nationals are not eligible to apply may qualify if (a) his-her spouse was born in a country whose nationals are eligible or (b) his-her parents did not reside in that country when he-she was born.
The US Embassy has been made fully aware by my Department of the concerns previously expressed by the Deputy in the House about misleading advertisements by outside intermediaries. In the Embassy's announcement at the end of January of the availability of diversity immigrant visas for 1996-97 it was stated that many so-called visa services charged exorbitant fees and made unrealistic claims. My Department issued a statement to the media on 6 February clearly advising applicants that using intermediaries did not enhance their prospects in the lottery, that there was no guarantee that applications sent through intermediaries would be delivered in time and that applicants could avoid unnecessary fees by applying direct.
