U.S. Consulate counsels visa lottery applicants

October 20, 2006 :: Funke Oduwole,Lagos, Daily Champion

United States Consulate in Lagos has urged Nigerians to carefully fill the 2007 Diversity Visa Lottery forms to ensure higher success and selection rates while stating that Poeple living with HIV/AIDS should forget about applying.

During a chat with newsmen at the Consulate Public Affairs section yesterday in Lagos consulate officers, Amy Lillis and Hannah Cheves said applicants should take time to study the instructions as the United States government wanted as many eligible candidates as possible to win.

   
Amy Lillis said there was no age limit for application noting that only two things were important "your identity and your educational background".

She stated that the minimum education requirement was the West African School Certificate in which candidate must have at least five creates or a combination of West African Examination Council (WAEC) and National Examination Council (NECO).

Miss Lillis also added that other applicants must have minimum of two years experience as in a vocation as secular employment.

"To really qualify you must be the person you claim you are. This is very important".

She however explained that not all jobs or vocations were acceptable and advised applicants to check for the eligibility of their jobs on the internet via http://online.onet center.org before applying to reduce disappointments.

The consulate officers said applicants should beware of some business centres that charged certain fees for filling the forms.

"There is no need for anyone to pay to enter for the lottery, it is absolutely free. Paying business centres to enter could even spoil your chances. It is better you enter your information yourself," Lillis stressed.

To enter for the lottery, the consulate urged eligible applicants to access the forms on www.dvlottery.state.gov.

 
The consulate also made it clear that HIV positive persons should not apply as they are not eligible.

"But for any other kind of visa they may be considered," she stressed.

Lillis reiterated that entries for the 2008 Diversity Visa commenced on October 4 and would terminate on Sunday December 3 by 5.pm.