A total of 158 persons from Latvia will be allowed to apply for permanent residency under the U.S. government’s 2005 diversity lottery, the State Department has announced.

The diversity lottery each year allows up to 50,000 people from countries with low immigration rates to apply for permanent residency. If granted, the person may permanently live and work in the United States, as well as bring their spouse and any unmarried children under the age of 21.

More than 5.9 million people applied under the 2005 program. Applications were accepted for a 60-day period from Nov. 1-Dec. 30, 2003. The 50,000 who were chosen will have until Sept. 30, 2005, to successfully complete the visa process.

A total of 64 people from Estonia and 1,114 from Lithuania were chosen in the 2005 lottery, the State Department announced July 29.

Last year, 172 persons from Latvia were chosen for the 2004 lottery.