United States: Reminder - FY 2026 Diversity Visa Lottery Registration Ends November 7
October 29, 2024
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At a glance
- Entrants have until Thursday, November 7, 2024 at noon EST to register online at the State Department’s official lottery website.
- Lottery applications must conform to the State Department’s strict requirements.
A closer look
Registration for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Diversity Visa (DV) lottery ends on Thursday, November 7, 2024 at noon EST. Foreign nationals who wish to register for the FY 2026 DV lottery must submit their online registration forms and accompanying digital photos by that time. Applicants must carefully follow the State Department’s official lottery instructions to avoid having their registration disqualified. (The State Department had originally announced a November 5 registration end date, but has since corrected the date to November 7.)
For FY 2026, the U.S. Department of State DV lottery program will make up to 55,000 green card numbers available through random selection. Foreign nationals selected in the lottery will be eligible to submit a green card application during the 2026 fiscal year, which begins on October 1, 2025.
Who is eligible to enter the lottery?
- The DV lottery is open to natives of countries that have historically low rates of immigration to the United States.
- Individuals from countries with high rates of U.S. immigration are not eligible to register.
- This year, those born in the following countries are ineligible: 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, and Vietnam.
- Individuals born in Macau SAR and Taiwan can participate.
- Those who cannot register because their country of birth is excluded may be able to qualify through a spouse who was born in an eligible country or, in certain circumstances, through a parent’s country of birth.
- Entrants must have at least a high school education (or equivalent) or two years of qualifying work experience within the past five years.
How lottery winners are chosen and notified
The State Department chooses lottery winners by random computer selection. Results will be published starting May 3, 2025 and will be available on the official DV lottery website through at least September 30, 2026.
Foreign nationals can learn whether they were selected only by visiting the official DV website and entering their confirmation number. The State Department does not notify entrants by letter, e-mail, fax, or telephone. The official website is the only legitimate source of lottery results.
Guarding against DV lottery fraud
Fraudulent DV lottery websites are common, but foreign nationals can and should take precautions to protect themselves. Learn more about DV lottery fraud by visiting the websites of the State Department and the Federal Trade Commission.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions about the DV lottery, please contact the immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen.
