DIVERSITY VISA LOTTERY 2008 INFORMATION AND APPLICATION FIVE HUNDRED AND FIFTY FIVE SIERRA LEONEANS WON THE 2006 DIVERSITY VISA LOTTERY. Here is a chance for legal USA Green Card for you or your family and friends. The DV lottery is an official program of the USA Congress, established in the 1996 Immigration Act in order to give immigration opportunity to natives from countries other than the main source of immigration to the U.S.A. This official U.S. government program aims to diversify the American population by creating an immigration opportunity to under-represented ethnic groups. Fifty-five thousand visas are allocated each year to lottery winners. The annual Diversity Visa Lottery submission date for 2008 commenced at 12:00 pm EST (GMT-5) on October 4, 2006 and ending at 12:00 pm EST (GMT-5) on December 3, 2006. You may submit your application your self by going directly to the State Department website below. IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE TIME OR INTERNET ACCESS; AND DO NOT WANT TO TAKE CHANCES WITH THE STRINGENT TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS, LET SIERRA CONNECTION SERVICES DO IT FOR YOU WITH GUARANTEED ACCURACY AND INCREASED CHANCES OF SUCCESS.  CLICK HERE FOR A PRINTABLE APPLICATION HOW DO I ENTER?  To participate in the Lottery, you must:  1. Complete an application with information about yourself and/or your family.  2. Submit photographs (electronic or hard copy) for every family member included on your application.  3. Pay an application processing fee, which can be paid online or sent by mail. If you want to prepare an application by hand, you can use the application form provided. The form can be mailed to Sierra Connection Services with your photographs and payment. Upon receipt of your application materials, we will review and process your Lottery entry and contact you to inform you of your application's status. WHEN DO I REGISTER? Register immediately! Properly formatted entry forms must be received by the US Government during a 2 month application submission period. Because the window period during which entries will be accepted is very short, we strongly urge you to submit your application today so that your entry will be ready for immediate submission during the appropriate application acceptance period.  WHAT TYPE OF PHOTOGRAPH MUST I SUBMIT? All applications must include recent photographs of the applicant, spouse, and each child (including all natural children, legally adopted children, and stepchildren, even if the children no longer reside with the applicant). ALL photographs must conform to the following specifications: The person being photographed must be directly facing the camera. The head should not be tilted up, down, or to the   side. The head must cover about 50% of the area of the photograph.  The photo should be taken with the person being photographed in front of a neutral, light-colored background. Photos taken with very dark or patterned, busy backgrounds will not be accepted.  The person's face must be in focus.  The person in the photograph must not wear sunglasses or other objects that obscure the face.  A photograph with the person wearing a head covering or a hat is only acceptable if the covering or hat is worn specifically due to that person's religious beliefs, and even then, the hat or covering cannot obscure any portion of the face. A photograph of a person wearing tribal, military, airline, or other headgear not specifically religious in nature will not be accepted.  Do not send group or family photos. A separate photo is required for every family member.  You have the option to submit hard copy photographs or electronic photographs. To submit photos electronically:  All electronic photos must conform to the following specifications: The image must be in the 'Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) File Interchange Format (JFIF)' format.  The image must be either in color or gray scale. Monochrome images (2-bit color depth) will not be accepted.  Digital images from either a digital camera source or a scanned photograph via scanner will be accepted.  If a new digital photograph is taken, it must have a resolution of 300 pixels wide by 300 pixels high OR 240 pixels wide by 320 pixels high, and a color depth of either 24-bit color, 8-bit color, or 8-bit gray scale.  If a photographic print is scanned, the print must be 2 inches by 2 inches (5 cm x 5 cm) square. It must be scanned at a resolution of 150 dots per inch (dpi) and with a color depth of either 24 bit color, 8-bit color, or 8-bit gray scale.  The maximum image size accepted will be 62,500 bytes (62.5 Kb).  To submit hard copy photos:  After you complete an online application or after you mail a hard copy version of the application, you can mail one photograph for each family member included on your application. In addition to the requirements described above, please follow these guidelines: Photographs must measure approximately 2 x 2 inches (5 x 5 cm).  Photos can be either in color or black and white.  Write the full name and date of birth of the person photographed behind the photo.  Use clear cellophane tape to attach the photos to the front or rear of the application. Do not use staples or glue!  Mail your application and photos to Sierra Connection Services. We will scan and upload your photographs to complete your application.  WHAT IS THE PROCESSING SERVICE FEE? The processing fee pays for the review and preparation of your registration. The US Government does not charge an application fee. To review the accuracy of your application and correct any errors, Sierra Connection Services charges a nominal fee to cover administrative and processing costs incurred in conjunction with the careful processing of every application.  SINGLE: $40 USD MARRIED: $60 USD HOW CAN I PAY THE PROCESSING FEE? The following forms of payment are accepted:  Money orders  Travelers checks  Personal checks (US only)  International drafts  US dollars (cash)  Western Union  IS THE PROCESSING FEE REFUNDABLE?  If you submit an application and we determine that you are not eligible to participate in the Green Card Lottery, we will refund your processing fee.  Because this is a Lottery program, Sierra Connection Services cannot guarantee that you will be selected a winner. If you are not selected, your processing fee is not refundable. However, we use our experience and knowledge to give you the best possible opportunity to win. We carefully satisfy the numerous technical requirements associated with the format and content of every application. The slightest mistake will disqualify your entry. Using our services ensures that your application is prepared correctly! WHAT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION DO I SEND? The only information that is necessary to participate in the Green Card Lottery is the information that is requested on the Lottery application form and your photographs.  Do not send copies of your birth certificate, passport, resume, curriculum vitae, education or training certificates, etc.  If your entry is selected in the Lottery drawing, you will be contacted by the US Government and will be required to complete additional paperwork. At that time, you will be asked to provide evidence of your country of birth, education, training, etc. WHICH CHILDREN SHOULD I INCLUDE? On your Green Card Lottery application you must include all unmarried children who are under the age of 21. List all natural children, spouse's children from a previous marriage, and adopted children.  Do not include married children or children over the age of 21. HOW MANY ENTRIES CAN I SUBMIT? An individual is allowed only one entry per year. You will be disqualified if you submit more than one entry. However, a husband and wife may each submit separate applications and pay only one processing fee (this includes husband, wife and children, if any). This doubles your odds of winning the Lottery. Please note: If you are married, only one application needs to be submitted to Sierra Connection Services. We prepare two Lottery entries with the information provided on this one application. HOW DO I KNOW THE STATUS OF MY APPLICATION? Sierra Connection Services will retain a printed receipt from the Kentucky Consular Center indicating the successful transmission of your application. This can be mailed to you on request through a self-addressed envelope. WILL PARTICIPATION AFFECT MY VISA STATUS?  You can enter the Green Card Lottery even if you have petitions pending, such as a relative's or employer's petition for work permits, visas, etc. Entering the Lottery does not adversely affect current or past petitions and does not jeopardize your current US visa status. The information you provide on the Lottery application remains confidential and will not be shared with other government offices or agencies. Your participation in the Lottery will not negatively affect any future visa petitions. Participating in the Lottery involves zero risk. HOW WILL I KNOW IF I WIN? Applicants whose applications are randomly selected from among all qualified entries will be notified directly in writing within 6 months of the close of the Lottery program. Together with this notification, further instructions will be provided on how to proceed, including information on fees connected with the immigration process. CAN WINNERS ADJUST THEIR VISA STATUS? Yes, provided they are otherwise eligible to adjust status under the terms of Section 245 of the INA, selected applicants who are physically present in the United States may apply to the US Citizen and Immigration Service (UCIS) for adjustment of status to permanent resident. MUST I BE MARRIED OR HAVE CHILDREN TO APPLY? You do not need to be married or have children to submit an application to the Green Card Lottery. How do I submit a married application?  To submit a married application, you and your spouse must each satisfy the Lottery eligibility requirements. You need to complete only one application (hard copy) and submit one photo (electronic or hard copy) for each family member included on the application. Remember to send the correct processing fee. IS THERE A MINIMUM AGE LIMIT?  There is no minimum age to apply. However, you must satisfy the general and education/training requirements. CAN I PARTICIPATE IF I AM IN THE US?  Yes. An applicant may be in the United States or in another country, and the entry may be mailed from the US or from abroad. CAN I EMAIL MY APPLICATION?  Yes! You can email your application to us. Photos can be e-mailed or sent by regular mail.  CLICK HERE FOR A PRINTABLE APPLICATION