GREEN CARD LOTTERY HOPEFULS SHOULD BE WARY OF ASSISTANCE : DREAM CAN COME AT HIGH PRICE.

Byline: Imbert Matthee Seattle Post-Intelligencer

During the next four weeks, millions of people worldwide are expected to try their luck in the U.S. government's annual green card lottery, through which 55,000 foreigners will end up living permanently in the United States by next year.

But immigration and State Department officials warn lottery applicants to be wary of businesses and attorneys who claim, for a high fee, they can increase applicants' chances of winning a ticket to the American Dream.

In some cases, companies are charging would-be immigrants hundreds of dollars for little more than basic assistance in a simple application process that is virtually free through the government.

Government officials said anyone who pretends to be affiliated with the government, says the application requires special expertise, guarantees a green card or claims an ability to increase chances of winning the lottery is engaged in making false claims and unfair business practices.

Katherine Munchmeyer, a spokeswoman for the State Department, which manages the lottery, said the application process is simple, but if applicants prefer to use legitimate outside assistance, offered by some for a reasonable fee, ``that is their choice.''

``To a lot of people, this (the lottery) is the only way open to come here,'' said Irene Mortensen, a spokeswoman for the regional district of the Immigration and Naturalization Service in Seattle.

``Many have high hopes, while others are desperate and will pay money for anything they think will improve their chances,'' she said. ``But everyone (who is qualified) has an equal chance. The lottery is completely random.''

The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program was created by Congress in 1990 to increase the number of permanent residence visas, or green cards, to citizens of countries with low immigration rates to the United States.

Applicants from China, Taiwan, India, the Philippines, South Korea, Vietnam, the United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland), Poland, Canada, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Jamaica and Mexico are not eligible because they are from countries whose immigrants already are coming here in large numbers.

Last year, 6.5 million foreigners applied for 55,000 green cards. This year, 21,179 will be randomly picked from Africa, 7,280 from Asia, 23,213 from Europe, eight from the Bahamas, 844 from Oceania and 2,476 from Latin America for the same total.

Lottery participants, who need at least a high school-equivalent degree or work experience, need to send a letter with basic personal information and a recent photograph to the National Visa Center in Portsmouth, N.H. The application period ends March 5, Munchmeyer said.

Several companies across the country, including American Immigration Information Center of Washington, D.C., and International Immigration Services of Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., have begun offering services to enter the lottery.

Unsolicited offers have been received by several Puget Sound-area residents. At least in one case, they missed their target.

``It came out of the blue,'' said a third-generation Japanese American who received a brochure from American Immigration Information Center in January.

The eight-page pamphlet, whose format resembles typical INS visa application forms, contained a confusing list of options to sign up for a five-year program that enters the participant in the green card lottery each year for $195, he said.

The recipient, who asked not to be identified, said none of his relatives needs a green card and could only guess he had received the solicitation because he was on a mailing list to receive a catalog of Japanese products.