It’s that time of year again! The Diversity Visa Lottery for fiscal year 2026 (“DV-2026”) is live and has begun accepting registrations effective Wednesday, October 2, 2024, at 12:00 noon (EDT). The registration period for the DV Lottery, as it’s commonly referred to, concludes on Thursday, November 7, 2024 at 12:00 noon (EST). Entries are only accepted electronically--paper entries through the US Postal Service will not be accepted. Keep in mind that the “law allows only one entry per person during each registration period.” Submitting multiple applications will result in disqualification, not better odds, and, yes, “the Department of State uses sophisticated technology to detect multiple entries.” It is recommended that foreign nationals not wait until the end of the period to apply as heavy demand could cause delays on the website.
The Diversity Visa Program
The Department of State administers the Diversity Visa Program (“DV Program”) which was established by the Immigration Act of 1990 and launched in 1995 to improve the diversity of immigrants arriving in the United States. The DV Program allows foreign nationals from countries with historically low rates of immigration to immigrate to the US. Individuals and families who would otherwise be unable to legally come to the US to reside permanently can apply for a Green Card through the DV lottery. Winners of the DV lottery and their immediate family members may apply for permanent residency in the United States.
Eligibility for the DV Lottery
The DV lottery will make up to 55,000 Green Cards available in the 2026 fiscal year through a random computer-based selection process to natives of certain countries that have historically low rates of immigration to the US. Unfortunately, nationals from certain countries with high rates of immigration to the US are not eligible to register. These include: Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (including mainland and Hong Kong born), Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Korea (South Korea), Venezuela, and Vietnam. Foreign nationals born in Macau SAR and Taiwan are able to participate in the lottery. For the second year in a row, individuals from the United Kingdom and its dependent territories are eligible to apply for the DV-2026.
Foreign nationals who cannot register because their own country of birth is in the excluded list above, should take note that they may still be able to participate through a qualifying spouse who was born in one of the countries that is eligible to participate or, in some cases, through a parent’s birth country.
The DV lottery also requires that the applicant meet its educational OR work requirement. To satisfy the educational requirement, the applicant must have successfully completed “a 12-year course of formal elementary and secondary school.” To meet the work requirement, the applicant must have at least two years of work experience within the last five years; that work experience must also be from an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience to perform. To determine qualifying experience, the government will use the Department of Labor’s O*Net Online database.
How To Apply
Entering the DV lottery involves completion of an online application and is free of charge. As mentioned, paper filings will not be accepted. Foreign nationals wishing to apply may do so through the Department of State’s (“DOS”) online portal from 12:00pm noon EST on the 2nd of October until Tuesday, November 5, 2024, at 12:00 noon (EST). To aid foreign nationals with the application process, DOS publishes a complete list of instructions on how to apply.
When applying, applicants should use a new digital photograph or a digital scan of a recent photograph, taken within the last six months, as long as it conforms to the compositional and technical specifications in the instructions. Applicants can test photos through the photo validation link on the DOS website, the department also offers a photo tool for cropping photos. Applicants should not submit an old photograph. Should they submit the same photograph from a prior year’s entry, a photograph that has been manipulated, or a photograph that does not meet the specifications in the instructions, the application will be disqualified.
The DV lottery is one of the most commonly targeted visa categories for fraud and foreign nationals are encouraged to apply only on the designated website. We have previously reported on scammers targeting DV applicants, and the DV lottery instructions themselves caution:
If at all possible, fill out the form yourself. If you need help, make sure the person helping you is entering your true information. Avoid visa consultants who offer to improve your chances by adding false information to your application. False information can disqualify you. Also avoid visa consultants who charge money because they claim they can improve your chances of winning. We do NOT work with consultants and they CANNOT improve your chances of being selected.
Foreign nationals should also note that while the State Department may send an email to remind entrants to check their status, they do not notify applicants via postal mail or email if they are selected in the lottery.
To find out if they were selected, foreign nationals should check their status online through the DV program website. In order to check their status, applicants must enter their unique confirmation number, which they should keep in a safe place.
If Selected in the Lottery
Lucky foreign nationals who are selected and “win” the lottery, will be assigned a confirmation number to access the Entrant Status Check which is available on the DV program website from May 3, 2025, through September 30, 2026. Entrant Status Check is the sole means by which the Department of State will notify you if you are selected, provide further instructions on your visa application, and notify you of your immigrant visa interview appointment date and time. Upon selection, foreign nationals will have to be vigilant about deadlines to apply and the full process must be completed by September 30, 2026, or the opportunity will be lost.
Foreign nationals in possession of a Green Card must intend to permanently reside in the US and may not use the Green Card solely to visit the US. If foreign nationals do not intend to move to the US and make it their home, it is not necessary to have a Green Card. Moving to the US permanently has a lot of implications, including tax obligations. While the prospect of winning the diversity lottery and obtaining a Green Card is understandably thrilling for many, before applying foreign nationals should carefully consider whether they really want a Green Card and seek advice from an immigration attorney to understand these implications. Good luck to all applicants!
UPDATE November 1, 2024: On October 28, 2024, the U.S. Department of State announced the correction to the DV-2026 registration period dates as published in the Federal Register. DOS changed the deadline to register for the DV-2026 lottery from November 5, 2024, to November 7, 2024, at noon EST. The lottery opened October 2, 2024.