Lottery: US targets 6,000 Nigerian immigrants

By Vera Anyagafu

United States Embassy in Nigeria has said that a total of about 6,000 immigrants from Nigeria are being expected to emerge from the US DV 2012 visa lottery.

Briefing newsmen yesterday at the Public Affairs section of the United States Consular-General, Broad street, Lagos, the consular officer, Boyette Charity, explained that the target is based on the fact that Nigeria pulls the largest number of players, followed by Ghana.

The United States of America, through the DV lottery which was mandated by the US congress in 1995 to open up a rare avenue for legal migrations into the USA, according to Boyette, has so far succeeded in encouraging the legal migration of individuals from third world countries who ordinarily would not have the pre-requisite to apply through the normal process.

He emphased, “the US Congress encourages diversity of people without sponsors, jobs or bank accounts, but who possess a minimum of SSCE from all over the world.”