Ahead of the Dec. 30 deadline for immigrants from eligible countries to apply for the 2005 Diversity Visa Lottery, New York City Mayor’s Immigrant Affairs Commissioner Sayu Bhojwani and NYC Consumer Affairs Commissioner Gretchen Dykstra said the visa is a random process and therefore, no one can improve a person’s chances of winning.

The Diversity Visa Lottery, administered by the U.S. Department of State, awards 50,000 permanent immigrant visas each year to people who come from countries with low rates of immigration. People from Canada, mainland China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Pakistan, Russia, South Korea, Britain, Vietnam and the Philippines are not eligible for the lottery.

For the first time, applications can only be filed electronically. In a press release, City officials urged immigrants to use public libraries and community based organizations that have free online access to file applications through the official State Department Web site at www.dvlottery.state.gov.

“New York City immigrants need to be well-informed about the Diversity Visa Lottery,” said Commissioner Bhojwani. “Immigrants are particularly vulnerable because of language barriers and their unfamiliarity with U.S. laws. Lottery applicants must be aware of the many eligibility requirements, including whether their country of origin qualifies, and must be careful about how they file applications.”

“All applications for the Diversity Visa Lottery must be filed through the State Department’s official web site,” said DCA Commissioner Dykstra. “New York City applicants can use one of the more than 200 public libraries or local community based organizations to log on for free. If applicants choose to pay for a service provider, the DCA let our fingers do the walking and compiled a list, available at www.nyc.gov, of accredited providers that are helping immigrants file applications. Filers should watch out for anyone who ‘guarantees’ winning, charges high application fees, or claims that legal services will be provided.”