US to Open 'Green Card' Lottery Today

The U.S. will open the ITS annual green card lottery today, Giving people around the world the chance "to apply for one of the 50.000 offer is working visas.

Thousands of applications are EE To Be Made by Irish Citizens due to the tough Economic Climate, According to NGOs, the WHO, are warning about fraudulent websites targeting visa applicants.

"People Need To Be extra Vigilante about companies and websites charging a fee for processing applications," said Joe O'Brien, of Cross Care Migrant Project.

They said NGOs had occurred Been contacted by Many Irish People Who Have Been defrauded by websites posing as official government websites or services by misrepresenting Their Saying They Were affiliated to the U.S. government.

"All applications go through the official route Which one is a U.S. Department of State website at www.dvlottery.state.gov. Applications CAN only be made online via this site and there is no charge Thurs submit an application, "they said.

In a joint appeal to the public, Cross Care and the Coalition of Irish Immigration Centres, Which is based in the U.S., said PeopleSoft Should Their only send in applications via the official site.

"Not only are unnecessarily Immigrants Their Giving money and Their Personal Information to private companies, But often no application is filed Actually for Them and They Lose Their Opportunity To submit an entry," said Sheila Gleeson, director of the Coalition of Irish Immigration Centres.

She said the centers were seeing an Increasing number of Irish Immigrants Arriving in all major cities and urged anyone thinking of going to the U.S. Thurs Avail of Legal MEANS Thurs Allow Them to stay.

The annual lottery attracts More Than 12 Million applicants from around the world. Some 201 Irish applicants were Chosen last year from the Diversity Visa Lottery, and 167 in 2008.

The lottery winning Entrants Gives an Opportunity To Apply for a permanent visa to live and work in the U.S.. It is free to enter and all applications must be made online at www.dvlottery.state.gov.