Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery: A Complete Guide to the U.S. Green Card Lottery

Every year, the United States makes up to 55,000 green cards available through a random drawing rather than a job offer or a family sponsor. It’s officially called the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, though most people know it simply as the green card lottery. The idea, created by Congress more than three decades ago, is straightforward: give people from countries that historically send few immigrants to the U.S. a genuine, no-strings-attached shot at permanent residence.

Unlike family preference or employment-based visas, the DV program doesn’t require a relative, an employer, or an investment. It requires eligibility, a properly submitted entry, and, ultimately, luck. This guide walks through how the program works, who can enter, what the process looks like if you’re selected, and where to check for the latest updates before you apply.

What Is the Diversity Visa Program?

The Diversity Visa (DV) program was created by the Immigration Act of 1990 and is authorized under Section 203(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Each fiscal year, it makes up to 55,000 immigrant visas available to natives of countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States. The program is administered entirely by the U.S. Department of State, not USCIS, and entries are accepted only through the official government portal.

Visas are distributed across six geographic regions, and by law, no single country can receive more than 7% of the available diversity visas in any given year. This keeps the program from being dominated by applicants from any one place and helps spread opportunity across a wide range of countries.

Who Is Eligible for the DV Lottery?

Eligibility comes down to two separate requirements, and you must meet both.

Country of Birth (or Chargeability)

You generally must be a native of an eligible country – meaning the country where you were born, not necessarily where you currently live or hold citizenship. The list of eligible and ineligible countries changes every year, based on immigration numbers from the previous five years, so a country that was eligible in one program year isn’t guaranteed to remain eligible the next. If your country of birth is ineligible, you may still qualify through chargeability: you can sometimes claim the country of birth of a spouse, or, for unmarried applicants, the country of birth of one of your parents, as long as that country is eligible and neither parent was born or a legal resident in your country of birth at the time of your birth.

Education or Work Experience

Every entrant must also meet one of the following:

• A high school education or its equivalent, defined as successful completion of a 12-year course of formal elementary and secondary education, or
• At least two years of work experience within the past five years in an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience to perform, based on the U.S. Department of Labor’s job classification system

There is no minimum age set by the program itself, though in practice you’ll need to meet the education or work-experience requirement, which effectively rules out most minors.

How to Register

Entries are submitted electronically only, through the official Department of State portal at dvprogram.state.gov – never through a third-party website, and there’s no paper option. Each entry requires:

• Full name, date and place of birth, and gender
• A digital photograph meeting strict technical specifications (recent, front-facing, plain background)
• Contact and mailing address information
• Basic details about your spouse and any unmarried children under 21, even if they won’t be immigrating with you

You may submit only one entry per person during a given registration period; multiple entries from the same person result in disqualification. As of the DV-2027 program year, the Department of State also introduced a $1 electronic registration fee, under a rule finalized in September 2025 – the first time a fee has applied at the entry stage in the program’s history. This fee is separate from, and much smaller than, the visa application fee paid later by anyone who is actually selected.

The registration period has traditionally opened in early October and run for about a month, but recent program years have seen this schedule shift, so always confirm current dates directly on the Department of State’s Diversity Visa page rather than relying on past years as a guide.

Checking Your Results

The Department of State selects entrants at random through a computer-generated drawing, choosing far more entries than there are visas available, since not everyone selected will ultimately complete the process. Results are available only through the online Entrant Status Check (ESC), using the confirmation number you received when you registered. The government does not notify selectees by email, mail, or phone – any message claiming to do so is a scam. Being selected is often called “winning the lottery,” but it isn’t a green card by itself; it simply means you’re eligible to apply for one, subject to the usual immigration eligibility and admissibility rules, and to visa numbers actually remaining available.

A Note on Recent Program Changes

The DV program has seen unusually significant changes recently, and anyone considering entering should check the current status before relying on older information. In November 2025, the Department of State announced it was delaying the start of DV-2027 registration while changing aspects of the entry process, without immediately setting a new opening date. Separately, in December 2025, the Department announced a pause on all Diversity Visa issuances while it reviewed screening and vetting procedures; DV applicants could still submit applications and attend scheduled interviews, but no visas were being issued under that guidance. Because these are exactly the kind of details that change quickly, confirm the current status on travel.state.gov before making any plans around the DV program.

If You’re Selected: The Application Process

1. Confirm your selection through the Entrant Status Check and review your case number, which determines roughly when your case will be processed.
2. Complete Form DS-260, the Online Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration Application, through the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC), if you’re applying from outside the United States. Selectees already lawfully present in the U.S. may instead be able to apply to adjust status using Form I-485.
3. Gather civil documents, including birth certificates, marriage certificates (if applicable), and police certificates from countries where you’ve lived.
4. Pay the required fees, including the Diversity Visa application fee.
5. Complete a medical examination with an authorized panel physician or civil surgeon.
6. Attend your scheduled interview at a U.S. embassy or consulate, or complete biometrics for an adjustment of status case.
7. Receive your visa or green card, if approved, and – for consular cases – travel to the U.S. before your visa’s validity period expires.

All DV visas for a given program year, including for family members, must be issued by September 30 of that fiscal year. Under the law, this deadline cannot be extended under any circumstances, which makes acting promptly once selected genuinely important.

Required Documents

• Confirmation of selection from the Entrant Status Check
• Valid passport
• Birth certificate and, if applicable, marriage certificate
• Police certificates from your country of residence and any country where you lived for a significant period
• Proof of your high school education or qualifying work experience
• Two passport-style photographs meeting visa specifications
• Form DS-260 confirmation page (for consular processing) or Form I-485 (for adjustment of status)
• Results of the required medical examination

Costs

• DV registration fee: $1, introduced starting with the DV-2027 program year
• Diversity Visa application fee: $330 per person, paid before the interview
• USCIS Immigrant Fee: $235, paid after visa approval for those processing through a consulate abroad, before the physical green card is produced
• Medical examination: cost varies by provider and country
• Adjustment of status filing fee (if applying from inside the U.S.): Form I-485, $1,440 by mail or $1,375 online

Budget also for certified document translations, certified copies of civil records, and travel to your medical exam and consular interview. Fees change periodically, so confirm current amounts on the official Department of State fee schedule before paying anything.

Key Takeaways

The Diversity Visa lottery remains one of the only paths to a U.S. green card that doesn’t depend on family ties, a job offer, or capital investment – just eligibility and a properly submitted entry. That accessibility is exactly why it draws tens of millions of entries each year for only 55,000 available visas. Because the program has gone through significant procedural changes recently, from a new entry fee to shifts in registration timing, treat any specific dates you find – including in this guide – as a starting point, and confirm current details directly with the Department of State before entering or making travel plans.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a fee to enter the DV lottery?

As of the DV-2027 program year, yes – a $1 electronic registration fee applies at the time of entry, introduced under a rule finalized in September 2025. This is separate from the $330 visa application fee, which only selectees pay later in the process.

How many times can I enter?

Once per registration period. Submitting more than one entry, even with slightly different information, disqualifies all of your entries. Your spouse may submit a separate entry on their own behalf if they’re independently eligible.

What counts as qualifying work experience?

You need at least two years of experience within the past five years in an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience, based on the U.S. Department of Labor’s occupational classification system. A high school education or its equivalent satisfies the requirement on its own, without needing qualifying work experience.

Does being selected guarantee a green card?

No. Selection means you’re eligible to apply – it doesn’t guarantee approval. You still need to meet all standard immigration eligibility and admissibility requirements, pass a medical exam and background checks, and complete your case before the September 30 cutoff, while visa numbers remain available.

Can my family come with me if I’m selected?

Yes. Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 at the time of your visa issuance can generally apply as derivatives on your case, even if they weren’t included on your original entry.

What happens if I don’t finish the process by September 30?

Diversity Visas for a given program year cannot be issued after September 30 of that fiscal year under any circumstances, and USCIS cannot approve related adjustment of status applications after that date either. There’s no carryover to the next program year – you would need to enter again if a future registration period opens and you remain eligible.

How do I know if my country is eligible this year?

Eligible and ineligible countries are announced each program year based on immigration data from the prior five years, so the list can change. Always check the current year’s official DV program instructions on the Department of State’s website rather than relying on a previous year’s list.

Are there recent changes I should know about?

Yes. Recent program years have seen a new $1 registration fee, delays to registration opening dates, and periods where visa issuance was paused for security review. Given how quickly these details have shifted, check travel.state.gov directly before entering or making any plans based on the DV program.