By Ray O’Hanlon
Details on how to apply later this year for the DV-2002 Schumer diversity visas were released this week by the U.S. State Department.
The registration mail-in period for applicants runs from noon on Monday, Oct. 2, until noon on Wednesday, Nov 1.
Fifty thousand visas are being made available in the open lottery to countries from around the world. Ireland and Northern Ireland are considered separate entities and people from both are eligible to apply for a Schumer Visa.
Applicants should send one application only to the designated address during the mail-in period.
The address to send applications to is: DV-2002 Program, Kentucky Consular Center, Lexington, KY, U.S.A. The zip code varies depending on the country the applicant resides in.
Follow us on social media
Keep up to date with the latest news with The Irish Echo
For applicants from Ireland, North and South, the applicable zip code is 41903.
There is no initial application fee or special application form. Each entry must be printed or clearly typed on a sheet of plain paper. Full details on how to apply for a 2002 Schumer are available on the State Department website, http://www.travel.state.gov or from any Irish immigration advice center in the U.S.
Walsh update
Meanwhile, The future running of the Walsh Visa program is to be offered to nongovernmental organizations in an open competition.
The pilot phase of the peace process-linked jobs program, which is coming to a close, has been run by a private company, Logicon. The company has come in for some criticism in recent months over the type of jobs it has set up in the U.S. for Walsh Visa winners.
According to the Federal Register, eligible applicants for the upcoming open competition include "all nongovernmental institutions, private organizations and commercial entities."