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The Diversity Visa (DV) lottery is a U.S. immigrant-visa program for people born in countries with historically low immigration to the United States. A free online entry can lead to random selection, but selection is not a visa approval or a guaranteed green card: the selectee must prove eligibility, complete forms, pass a medical examination and interview, and obtain an available visa number.
Important status update: Under the U.S. Department of State guidance dated August 31, 2026, applicants may still submit DV applications and attend scheduled interviews, but the Department has paused all diversity-visa issuances and says there are no exceptions. This policy can change quickly, so check the live State Department notice before paying costs or making travel plans.
What the Diversity Visa program is
Congress created the Diversity Immigrant Visa program to provide immigrant visas to people from countries that send relatively few immigrants to the United States. The State Department says the program may make available up to 55,000 immigrant visas each year, subject to statutory limits and allocations by geographic region and country. The official Diversity Visa Instructions describe the online entry as easy and free.
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The process has two separate stages. First, an individual submits an electronic entry during the announced registration window. Later, the Department randomly selects entries by region, while applying country limits. A selected entry only gives the person an opportunity to apply. The applicant still needs a qualifying country of chargeability, the required education or work experience, a complete case, an available visa number and a favorable consular or adjustment-of-status decision.
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For scale, the Department reported 20,822,624 qualified entries for DV-2026. That figure belongs to DV-2026 and is not a prediction for DV-2027. No country may receive more than 7% of the available diversity visas in a fiscal year, according to the Department’s DV-2026 selected-entrants notice.
Who may qualify
Country of birth and chargeability
Eligibility is generally based on the applicant’s country of birth, not where the person currently lives or which nationality they hold. The eligible-country list can change for each program year, and special chargeability rules may apply in limited family situations. Read the instructions for the exact year before entering; do not assume that residence, citizenship or a previous entry determines eligibility.
Education or qualifying work experience
The principal applicant must have either:
- A formal education comparable to completion of a 12-year U.S. elementary and secondary course; or
- At least two years of qualifying work experience during the previous five years in an occupation that meets the Department of Labor’s Job Zone 4 or 5 classification and has a Specific Vocational Preparation (SVP) rating of 7.0 or higher.
A GED-equivalency certificate does not satisfy the education requirement. The Department’s qualification guidance explains how the principal applicant must document the standard. A spouse or child applying as a derivative does not independently have to meet the principal applicant’s education or work test, although each derivative must still be eligible for an immigrant visa.
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How to enter the DV lottery
- Confirm that registration is open. Use the official E-DV website linked from the year’s instructions and read every requirement before starting. Entries are electronic only, must be submitted during the specified window, and cannot be filed late or on paper.
- Prepare accurate information and a compliant photograph. Enter names, birth details, country of birth, marital status and family information exactly as required. List an existing spouse and all qualifying unmarried children, including adopted children and stepchildren where the instructions require them. An omission or false statement can make a later case ineligible even if the entry was selected.
- Submit one entry for yourself. More than one entry for the same person during one registration period can disqualify every entry for that person. A married couple may each submit a separate entry if each independently qualifies, but each entry must list the family members required by the instructions.
- Save the confirmation number. The confirmation page and number are needed to retrieve the result. Save an electronic copy and a secure backup; the Department does not replace the number through an informal email request.
- Check the result yourself. The Department states that Entrant Status Check on the E-DV website is the only way it notifies selectees. It does not mail selection letters or send selection emails. Use the official If Selected guidance and do not pay anyone who claims to have special access to the result.
DV-2027 dates and the fiscal-year deadline
A November 5, 2025 State Department notice says the DV-2027 registration dates and the date when results will become available will be announced later. Do not reuse dates from the DV-2026 entry window. The same notice says the DV-2027 visa-application period remains October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. Registration dates and the visa-application period are different: the first controls when an entry may be submitted, while the second identifies the fiscal year in which a selected applicant may pursue a visa.
Because visa numbers are limited and cases require processing, a selectee should begin each required step as soon as the Department permits. Check the current instructions and the DV-2027 entry-period notice for an announced registration window rather than relying on social-media calendars or old articles.
What happens after selection
1. Submit a DS-260 for every applicant
The principal applicant and each family member seeking a diversity visa must complete an online DS-260 immigrant-visa application. The Department’s DS-260 instructions explain the submission process. If a marriage, birth, divorce, adoption or other family circumstance changes after the original entry, disclose the change and add eligible family members according to the official instructions. Incomplete or inconsistent answers can delay processing or lead to refusal.
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2. Wait for case review and a visa number
The Kentucky Consular Center reviews the submitted information. An interview is scheduled only when the case is ready and a visa number is available under the applicable regional allocation and Visa Bulletin movement. Being selected with a high case number does not guarantee that an interview will occur before the fiscal-year limit. Follow the appointment instructions from the assigned embassy or consulate; do not assume that selection itself creates an interview date.
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3. Assemble civil and eligibility documents
Document rules vary by country and by the consular post handling the case. Typical requirements include:
- A valid passport and copies of required biographic pages.
- Birth, marriage, divorce, adoption, police and court records when applicable, in the format and with translations required by the post.
- The DS-260 confirmation page and interview appointment notice.
- Evidence that the principal applicant meets the education or qualifying work-experience rule.
- Any post-specific forms, photographs, military records or financial information requested in the appointment instructions.
Use the post’s current checklist in addition to the general Prepare for the Interview guidance. A document that is acceptable in one country may need a different issuing authority, certification or translation in another.
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4. Complete the medical examination
Every applicant must be examined by a physician authorized for the relevant embassy or consulate. Schedule the examination early enough to receive the sealed results or electronic transmission required by the post, but follow the post’s timing rules so the medical does not expire before travel. Applicants should not use an ordinary local doctor unless that doctor is on the authorized list.
5. Attend the interview and pay the visa fee
A consular officer decides whether each applicant qualifies under U.S. immigration law. The State Department listed a $330 nonrefundable diversity-visa application fee per applicant when checked on October 13, 2026. Payment method and timing differ by post. Medical examinations, document procurement, translations, photographs and local travel can add costs; those amounts are not uniform nationwide. Bring originals and copies in the format the post requests, and answer questions truthfully and consistently with the DS-260.
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The August 31, 2026 updated guidance says the Department continues to accept DV applications and conduct interviews, including scheduling applicants, but has paused all diversity-visa issuances and provides no exceptions. Therefore, completing an interview does not currently mean a visa will be printed. Applicants should monitor the live notice before incurring medical, travel or relocation expenses, because the operational status may change independently of the normal case steps.
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The pause does not turn selection into a reservation. Applicants still need to meet every requirement and keep their case information current. Conversely, an otherwise complete case cannot result in admission while the Department’s stated issuance pause remains in effect.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Consular processing versus adjustment of status
A selected person who is outside the United States generally pursues an immigrant visa through a U.S. embassy or consulate. Some selectees already in the United States may be able to seek adjustment of status through U.S. immigration authorities if they maintain lawful status and satisfy all applicable requirements. The State Department describes both possibilities, but neither route is an automatic workaround for the current issuance pause.
| Issue | Consular processing abroad | Adjustment of status in the United States |
|---|---|---|
| Where the applicant is located | Outside the United States and processed by the designated embassy or consulate. | Physically in the United States and potentially eligible to file for adjustment while maintaining a qualifying immigration status. |
| Primary procedure | DS-260, Kentucky Consular Center processing, civil-document review, authorized medical examination and consular interview. | Application through the U.S. adjustment-of-status process, with forms, evidence, biometrics and an interview or other steps as required. |
| Visa-number requirement | A visa number must be available before the case can be issued. | A visa number must also be available; selection alone does not create one. |
| Interview location | The assigned U.S. embassy or consulate. | A designated U.S. government location if an interview is required. |
| Fees | The Department lists the $330 DV fee per applicant, plus medical and local costs. | The fee path is different and depends on the adjustment filing; consult the current State Department adjustment-of-status guidance and the responsible agency’s instructions. |
| Effect of the issuance pause | An interview may proceed, but the Department says DV issuances are paused. | Do not assume filing inside the United States bypasses the same policy or fiscal-year limits. |
Adjustment-of-status eligibility is highly fact-specific. Unlawful presence, status violations, prior immigration history and the timing of the fiscal-year allocation can change the result, so an applicant with a complicated history should obtain individualized legal advice rather than relying on a general checklist.
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| Stage | Amount or treatment | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Initial electronic entry | $0 | The State Department says the entry itself is free; beware of sites charging to submit a basic entry. |
| Diversity-visa application | $330 per applicant | Nonrefundable amount listed by the State Department when checked October 13, 2026; payment procedures vary by post. |
| Medical examination and records | Additional local charges | Prices depend on the authorized physician, country, vaccines and documents required. |
| Translations, certificates and travel | Additional local charges | Depends on the issuing authority, translator and interview location. |
| USCIS immigrant fee after visa issuance | Amount not stated in the cited DV guidance | Pay it before traveling when instructed; the Permanent Resident Card is not produced until the fee is paid. |
What happens if the visa is issued
A diversity immigrant visa is generally valid for up to six months, or for less time if the medical examination expires sooner. Read the expiration date printed on the visa; do not assume every applicant receives the full six months.
After issuance, pay the USCIS immigrant fee before traveling as directed. The fee must be paid before the physical Permanent Resident Card can be produced. When the immigrant is admitted at a U.S. port of entry, that admission creates lawful permanent resident status. The card follows the post-admission production process.
Errors that can destroy a case
- Submitting multiple entries: More than one entry for the same person in one registration period can disqualify all of that person’s entries.
- Leaving out family members: Omitting a spouse or qualifying child at entry can create a serious ineligibility problem later.
- Using an unqualified education claim: A GED certificate is not the required 12-year educational equivalent; work experience must meet the specified Job Zone and SVP thresholds.
- Relying on an email notice: Selection is checked through Entrant Status Check, not a mailed letter or selection email.
- Missing post-specific documents: A general internet checklist cannot replace the assigned embassy or consulate’s current instructions.
- Assuming selection guarantees a green card: Visa-number availability, admissibility, complete forms, medical results and the officer’s decision remain necessary.
- Paying an unofficial intermediary: The Department advises entrants to complete their own applications and warns about scam websites. No service can improve random-selection odds.
A practical checklist for a selected entrant
- Retrieve the selection notice through Entrant Status Check using the saved confirmation number.
- Read the current year-specific instructions and note the case number, regional allocation information and fiscal-year limits.
- Complete and submit a DS-260 for the principal applicant and every derivative seeking a visa.
- Report family or marital changes exactly as instructed.
- Collect civil records, translations, passport documents and education or work evidence.
- Follow the assigned post’s medical-examination and vaccination instructions.
- Monitor the Visa Bulletin and appointment messages without treating either as an issuance guarantee.
- Attend the interview with originals, copies and payment prepared according to the post’s rules.
- Check the current issuance guidance before booking nonrefundable travel.
- If a visa is issued, pay the immigrant fee before travel and enter before the visa expires.
The essential distinction
The DV lottery is an entry-and-selection system, not a direct green-card giveaway. The entry is free, but the later application has a fee and other expenses. Eligibility depends on both the applicable country rules and the principal applicant’s education or qualifying work history. Selection must be confirmed through the official E-DV status service, followed by DS-260 processing, document review, medical examination, an interview and an available visa number. Under the August 31, 2026 guidance, those steps can continue while actual diversity-visa issuance remains paused, so the official State Department notice should control any current decision.
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