The U.S. State Department has officially opened the registration period for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Diversity Visa (DV) lottery.
As of October 2, 2024, foreign nationals interested in applying have until noon EST on November 5, 2024, to submit their entries online. The DV lottery program offers a chance for up to 55,000 green card numbers to be distributed through random selection.
Results for the FY 2026 lottery will be announced in May 2025, and successful applicants will be able to begin submitting their green card applications on October 1, 2025.
Whos is eligible for the Diversity Visa Lottery?
The program is aimed at individuals from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States. Those born in nations with high levels of U.S. immigration are ineligible for the FY 2026 lottery. This year, excluded countries include:
- Bangladesh
- Brazil
- Canada
- China (including mainland and Hong Kong SAR)
- Colombia
- Cuba
- Dominican Republic
- El Salvador
- Haiti
- Honduras
- India
- Jamaica
- Mexico
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Philippines
- South Korea
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
However, individuals born in Macau SAR and Taiwan are eligible to apply.
For those whose countries of birth are excluded, there are certain exceptions. For example, applicants may still qualify through their spouse’s or, in some cases, their parent’s country of birth. Additionally, applicants must either hold a high school diploma (or equivalent) or have two years of qualifying work experience within the last five years.
Registration Process for the DV Lottery
Interested individuals must complete an online application form and upload a digital photo via the official DV lottery website. Applicants are allowed to include their spouse and children in their submission. It’s important to note that only one application per person is allowed; multiple registrations for the same individual will result in disqualification.
Applicants are advised to carefully follow the official instructions provided by the State Department, as failing to adhere to the guidelines or submitting incorrect information could lead to disqualification. Once an application is successfully submitted, a confirmation number will be issued, which can be used to check the application’s status.
How to Check Your Status
Winners are selected randomly through a computer-generated process. Starting on May 3, 2025, applicants will be able to check if they were selected by visiting the official DV lottery website. The confirmation number received during registration is required to view results, which will be available until at least September 30, 2026.
Successful applicants will then move forward with the next steps in the green card application process.
If you have any questions about the Diversity Visa Lottery, please get in touch with the Margaret W. Wong & Associates team.
