The state Department will start approving online enrollments for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Diversity Visa (DV) lottery beginning Wednesday, October 2, 2024, at noon EDT. International citizens who desire to participate in the lottery must file online by Tuesday, November 5, 2024, at noon EST.
For Fiscal Year 2026, the Diversity Visa lottery scheme will make up to 55,000 green card numbers obtainable via random selection. Fiscal Year 2026 lottery outcomes will be declared in May 2025. International citizens chosen in the Fiscal Year 2026 lottery can present their green card requests beginning on October 1, 2025.
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FY 2026 At A Glance
- Registration for the Diversity Visa Lottery opens on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, at noon EDT and closes on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, at noon. Entrants must apply on the State Department’s official Diversity Visa Lottery webpage within this period.
- Lottery requests are required to align with the State Department’s stringent conditions.
Who Is Qualified To Enter The Lottery
- The Diversity Visa lottery is open to residents of nations that have historically had lower relocation rates to the United States.
- People from nations with increased immigration rates to the United States are not qualified to enroll.
- This year, people born in the nations below are not qualified: Vietnam, Venezuela, South Korea, Philippines, Pakistan, Nigeria, Mexico, Jamaica, India, Honduras, Haiti, El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Colombia, China, Brazil, Bangladesh, Canada, and Hong Kong.
- People born in Macau, SAR, and Taiwan are eligible to participate.
- People who cannot enroll because their nation of birth is exempted may be eligible through a partner born in a qualified nation or, in specific cases, through a parent’s country of birth.
- Entrants are required to possess a minimum of high school education or equivalent or 24 months of eligible job skills within the previous five years.
Enrolling For The Lottery
- Entrants are required to present an online form and a digital picture via the official Diversity Visa lottery webpage. Diversity Visa lottery candidates may also include a partner and children in their entry.
- Only one entry is authorized per individual. If multiple enrollments are made on behalf of one individual, the entire enrollment will be ineligible.
- Candidates are required to carefully observe the State Department’s official lottery directions. Lottery entries and digital pictures that do not align with the directions will not be eligible.
- Once the request is approved, candidates will receive a verification number, which they can use to review the status of their request.
Ways Lottery Winners Are Selected And Informed
The State Department selects lottery winners by random computer picking. Results will be posted on the official Diversity Visa lottery entry status webpage beginning May 3, 2025, and at least September 30, 2026.
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After the lottery results are announced, international citizens can check if they were chosen by visiting the official Diversity Visa webpage and entering their verification number. It’s important to note that the State Department does not inform entrants by letter, e-mail, fax, or telephone. The official website is the only legitimate source of lottery results.
Protecting Against DV Lottery Scam
Diversity Visa scams are widespread, but international citizens can and are required to take some precautions to guard themselves.
- Be Watchful For Deceptive Lottery Web Pages
The only approved Diversity Visa lottery webpage is on the State Department webpage. The State Department does not use or authorize any outside person or firm to approve lottery requests or run the lottery. Several webpages act as official government pages or assert to have State Department approval. These pages are required to be prevented.
- The State Department Does Not Demand A Fee For Lottery Enrollment
A webpage, person, or firm asserting a government charge to participate in the lottery is a scam.
- If Lottery Support Is Required, Look For Competent Suggestions
Candidates may use an attorney or other delegates to prepare a lottery enrollment; however, they are required to be careful of commercial webpages that assert to enroll candidates outside of the enrollment duration or purport to be approved by the State Department to approve enrollment for a charge.
- Be Careful Of Lottery E-mails, Letters, Or Faxes That Assert To Come From The State Department
The State Department does not forward e-mails, faxes, or letters concerning the Diversity Visa lottery. The official webpage is the only legal source of details concerning lottery results and the only place to present a lottery enrollment.
- Do not send funds or private details to questionable persons or firms.
- Be skeptical of any communication asserting an international citizen has been awarded the Diversity Visa lottery when the candidate did not enroll or enrolled in the past year.
