|  |      From: THE IRISH EMIGRANT          Issue No.315
     
     
                              MORRISON VISAS
     
     The Application period for Morrison visas for 93/94 is set for 
     12.01 a.m. (Washington DC time) on Tuesday, March 2, to midnight 
     Wednesday, March 31st.  Applications by ordinary mail (airmail if 
     applying from outside US) to:
     
     		   AA-1 Program
     		   P.O. Box 1994,
     		   Dulles,
     		   VA 20199-1994
     		   USA
     
     Mail received outside the above dates will be discarded as will 
     mail requiring signed receipt. Application will be selected by 
     random lottery at the end of the month-long application period. 
     Application need only be a sheet of paper (typed or legibly 
     printed) which contains the following information:
     
     1.	Applicant's name: Surname (underlined), Forename, Middlename
     
     2.	Date and Place of Birth: Day, Month and Year, City/Town, 
        District/County, Country
     
     3.	Name, date and place of birth of spouse and children (if 
        applicable). (Spouse need not be born in Ireland to be 
        included in application).
     
     4.	Mailing Address: (Current address).
     
     5.	US Consulate/Embassy to process application. 
        (Embassy/consulate of country in which applicant lives prior 
        to coming to US).
     
     The application need not be signed. NO fee at this stage of 
     process. Fee of $25 will be charged if applicant is successful. 
     Application need not include any evidence regarding job offer; 
     this will be required later at visa interview.  VISA applications 
     are restricted to 1 application per person (the submission of 
     more than one will automatically disqualify). Married couples may 
     make separate individual applications with the each listing the 
     other as a dependent.
     
     Envelope:
     
     The country of which the applicant is native (e.g. IRELAND or 
     NORTHERN IRELAND) and his/her name and full mailing address 
     should be typed or legibly printed in the top left hand corner of 
     the envelope. Thus the top left hand corner of the envelope might 
     show the following information:
     
     IRELAND
     								     
       Seosamh O'Gallunach,
       111 Somewhere Street,
       Any ol' town,
       Co. Somewhere,
       IRELAND
     
     The envelope should be no larger than 9 and a half inches in 
     length and 4 and a half inches in width. It should be no smaller 
     than 6 inches by three and a half inches.
 | 
|  |     I noticed that this current lottery has been advertised quite
    heavily in the UK press recently. Being curious I contacted 
    the address advertised in the Sunday Times and received a 
    speedy response and application form back yesterday.
    
    The organisation who advertised in the Sunday Times is a law
    firm operating out of L.A. They want you to part with $75.00
    (for a couple = two applications) and that's just a handling fee
    for submitting your application to Washington. The firm justify 
    this in a number of ways citing their success rates (well they would
    would'nt they) and pointing to the exact course of administration 
    which needs to be followed in order to be successful. They must 
    make a packet.
    
    I know the odds are astronomically high, there must be about 3-4
    million applications for these lotteries, but I may consider 
    having a go. 75 bucks seems a lot but I understand that
    applications for residence for countries such as Australia cost
    a couple of hundred pounds even if you are'nt successful. Anyone 
    else tried in the past and what sort of fees were you paying 
    through non U.S. Goverment channels?
    
    barry.   
                                        
 | 
|  |     
    Because its a lottery and all it requires is a simple, clearly filled
    out page, most people I know just complete it as requested and take
    their chance.
    
    The $75 ( or an other charge) is a rip-off, there is NO way that they
    can influence the picking of a name.
    
    However, if you are selected you may need legal help in completing all
    the applications, as its not a simple process.
    
    g'luck.
    
    gc
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