WASHINGTON, D.C., Mon. Nov. 8: Caribbean nationals and undocumented immigrants here, looking to win permanent residency in the U.S. can take a chance on the 2006 Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery. Registration for the free lottery began on Friday, according to State Department officials. The congressionally mandated lottery allots 50,000 lucky applicants permanent resident visas from a random computer selection process. However, nationals of Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Haiti in the Caribbean are once again excluded from this year’s lottery because of high migration rates, according to U.S. officials. However, if you are married to a national of a country that qualifies, then you are eligible to apply. All applications must be submitted online. To enter the program, log on to: www.dvlottery.state.gov any time today through noon on January 7, 2005 and follow the instructions carefully. This is the second year that electronic registration is required. No paper entries or mail-in requests will be accepted and only one entry is allowed per applicant. Officials warn applicants to be aware of imposter websites or emails that claim they can get you a green card through the program. They stress the lottery is like any other – merely a chance at winning a green card. Additionally, payment only becomes an option if you are consulting an attorney or immigration counselor to take your picture and fill out the online application. SOURCE: HARDBEATNEWS.COM