painting workshop and acoustic music session at 34 Avenue open streets
Sunday July 24th / Aug 14th / Aug 21st 3-5pm at
34th Avenue Open Streets
(93rd St & 34th Ave, Jackson Heights, Queens NY)
Admission is free but registration is required.
Sign up at bit.ly/paintyourstory
“On the day that the Irish Government has published the Payment Scheme for the survivors of mother-and-baby homes it is important to recognise the particular legacy of trauma and hurt felt so deeply by those survivors living abroad, most particularly in Britain, which is home to the largest number of survivors outside Ireland. I would like to especially acknowledge how difficult this year has been for all survivors, their families and for those communities that have been working on behalf of the survivors.
As Minister with special responsibility for the Diaspora, I am committed to working closely with colleagues across Government to ensure the needs of those survivors living abroad continue to be reflected in implementation of the Scheme and the Action Plan. Though our Embassies and Consulates we will work closely with the Department of Children, Equality , Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) to communicate back to those survivors and to their representatives living abroad.
The publication of the Action Plan, including the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme has been keenly awaited by former residents of these institutions, including those survivors living abroad. The Scheme means that survivors living abroad will have access to a financial payment on the same basis as those living in Ireland, and will also have access to either an enhanced medical card or a once-off payment in lieu of the card.
Having a dedicated point of contact for those living outside Ireland is a particular request that has been conveyed strongly to us by Irish community and welfare organisations worldwide. Work is currently underway on the development of an enhanced model of engagement involving a dedicated Advocate for survivors and former residents. It will be important that any “Advocate” has the necessary resources to properly engage with the particular concerns of survivors living abroad.
I welcome the proposal for a central repository for records and my Department would be willing to transfer the files under its remit to this repository.
One of the primary objectives of Ireland’s new Diaspora Strategy, which I had the honour to launch a year ago, is to heal the relationship with our emigrants who left Ireland as a result of discrimination or as victims of institutional abuse. I am glad to confirm that through the Government’s Emigrant Support Programme, the Department of Foreign Affairs will be providing further support to Irish community organisations working with and on behalf of survivors living abroad in 2022.”
Applicants who submitted an entry under the Diversity Visa 2023 green card lottery (DV-2023) can check the status of their application online starting on Saturday, May 7, 2022, at noon (EDT). The DV-2023 entry period opened on October 6, 2021, and closed on November 9, 2021. Only confirmation information for entries submitted during this period are valid for checking your status.
All DV-2023 applicants must check their status online, and will not receive a notification letter or e-mail from the U.S. government. Diversity Visa Entry Status Check will only be provided through the Department of State secure online site. Until September 30, 2023, entrants are able to check the status of their entry through the E-DV website at https://dvprogram.state.gov/. Entrants need to use their own confirmation page information from the time of their entry to check the status to find out if their Diversity Visa Lottery entry was or was not selected. Entrants will need to enter their last name, year of birth and confirmation number from the receipt.
The Department of State advises the public of a notable increase in fraudulent emails and letters sent to potential Diversity Visa (DV) program (Visa Lottery) applicants. The scammers behind these fraudulent emails and letters are posing as the U.S. government in an attempt to extract payment from DV applicants.
Please keep your confirmation number until at least September 30, 2023, even if you are not selected on May 7, 2022. The Department of State may select more DV-2023 entries on October 1, 2022 or thereafter.
Entrants who have lost their confirmation number can enter further identifying details on the official website to retrieve it by clicking the “Forgot Confirmation Number” link.
All lottery applicants who were assisted at our office would have received a copy of their application confirmation page with their confirmation number. Please contact our office if you need the information again.
Selected entrants must confirm their qualifications, submit their immigrant visa and alien registration application, prepare supporting documents, and have a consular interview. Visa number allocations are determined by the provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act which determines the number of diversity immigrant visas available each year. Selected entrants will only be scheduled for an interview when and if there is a visa number available. Before being interviewed, each applicant must pay the Diversity Visa Lottery fee of $330 per person which is not refundable. For more detailed information, including steps to take to prepare for the consulate interview, go to https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/immigrate/diversity-visa/if-you-are-selected.html.
It is expected that the next application period for the DV Lottery will be between October and November this year. Official dates, rules and eligible countries should be announced by late September. For more information, go to the official US State Department website at https://dvprogram.state.gov/. You may also contact our office in the early fall for more information and assistance to complete another application. Be aware that the application for the DV lottery is free and you do not need to pay anyone to enter.
Tickets are available for the AOH Division 7-hosted Celtic Cruise benefiting EIIC! A limited number of upper deck tables are available for purchase here. To sponsor this popular event, email siobhand@eiic.org. Boarding begins at 6PM at Chelsea Piers. We look forward to seeing you on June 8th–all aboard!
