The US visa lottery, officially known as the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV Program), is an annual program designed to increase diversity in US immigration. It offers individuals from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States the chance to apply for a green card, granting permanent residency. Each year, approximately 50,000 diversity visas are issued through the lottery.

To be eligible, applicants must be from a qualifying country and meet specific educational or work experience requirements. A high school diploma or its equivalent, or two years of work experience in a qualifying job within the last five years, is required. Applications are submitted online during the official entry period, and winners are selected randomly by a computer system.

Key risks and considerations include ensuring the application is submitted accurately and on time. Errors or incomplete submissions can result in disqualification. Fraudulent websites and services claiming to guarantee selection are another concern; only the official US Department of State website should be used to apply.

Importantly – ‘winning’ the lottery does not guarantee a visa; selected individuals must still meet all eligibility and documentation requirements during the subsequent application process.

 

What does the US visa lottery offer?

 

Being randomly chosen in the US visa lottery does not guarantee that you will receive a diversity visa. Rather, selection means that you are eligible to apply for a visa, together with any qualifying family members.

Applicants who are selected in the US Visa Lottery must still meet the strict eligibility requirements to go on to qualify for a diversity visa. However, you will only need to provide documentary proof of your native country, education and/or work experience if you are selected.

In order to immigrate, selectees must also be admissible to the United States. Both the online immigrant visa application form and the consular officer, during interview, will ask you questions about your eligibility to immigrate under US law, including questions about criminal and security related topics.

Although there is no fee to enter the US Visa Lottery, successful entrants who wish to apply for a visa must pay all application fees and associated costs for themselves and any qualifying family members.

You must also prove that you will be able to support yourself and your family once you are living in the US, for example, in the form of personal assets, an affidavit of support from a relative or friend residing in the US, or an offer of employment from a US employer. Immigration under the US Visa Lottery does not entitle you to any financial or settlement assistance.

 

Who is eligible to apply for the US visa lottery?

 

Enrolment into the US visa lottery is open to all individuals worldwide who meet the following two entry requirements:

 

• You must be a native of a qualifying country
• You must meet the education or work experience requirement.

 

Native of a qualifying country

 

Under US immigration law, the list of eligible countries are limited to those from which fewer than 50,000 natives in various visa categories immigrated to the United States during the previous five years. The list of eligible countries for each year’s US visa lottery is reviewed and modified on the sole basis of this five year calculation, where people born in countries with high immigration rates are excluded from the program.

A ‘native’ means someone born in a particular country, regardless of the individual’s current nationality or country of residence. Accordingly, eligibility is determined by the country of your birth, and not based on your country of citizenship or where you currently reside.

In the event that you were born in one of the non-qualifying countries, you may in limited circumstances still be able to participate in the US Visa Lottery based on the country of birth of your parents or spouse:

 

• Spousal Nativity: Your spouse was born in an eligible country. You can claim your spouse’s country of birth, provided both of you are listed on the selected entry, are found eligible, and enter the US simultaneously.
• Parental Nativity: Neither of your parents was born in or legally resided in your country of birth at the time of your birth. In this case, you may claim the country of birth of one of your parents, if it is an eligible country.

 

Education or work experience requirement

 

Each US Visa Lottery entrant must also meet the education or work experience requirement by having either:

 

• Completed at least a US high school education or its foreign equivalent, defined as the successful completion of a twelve year course of formal elementary and secondary education, or
• Obtained two years work experience within the past five years in an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience. The US Department of Labor’s O*NET Online database will be used to determine qualifying work experience.

 

There is no minimum age to apply for the US Visa Lottery, although the requirement of a high school education or work experience will effectively disqualify most persons who are under the age of 18.

 

What are your chances in the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program?

 

As a non-US national it is possible to obtain lawful permanent residence in the United States by entering the US Visa Lottery. While in no way guaranteed, the following guide tells you how to go about obtaining a lottery-style green card, courtesy of what’s officially known as the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program.

 

Timescales and deadlines to apply

 

The visa lottery operates on an annual cycle with specific timeframes for application submission, result announcements, and subsequent processing.

The registration period for the DV Lottery typically opens in early October and closes in early November. For instance, the DV-2026 program accepted entries from October 2, 2024, to November 5, 2024. Applicants must submit their entries electronically through the official US Department of State website during this window.

Entrants can check their status online the following May. For the DV-2026 program, results will be available starting May 3, 2025. Applicants must use their unique confirmation number to access their status through the Entrant Status Check on the official website.

Selected individuals, known as selectees, should promptly proceed with the visa application process upon selection. All diversity visas for a given program must be issued by September 30 of the corresponding fiscal year. For example, DV-2026 selectees must obtain their visas by September 30, 2026. Failure to complete the process by this deadline results in forfeiture of the visa eligibility.

 

How do I apply for the US visa lottery?

 

To enter the US visa lottery you must do so via the Electronic Diversity Visa Lottery website (www.dvlottery.state.gov). The law allows only one entry per person during the registration period, where individuals who submit more than one entry will be disqualified.

To complete your US Visa Lottery entry you must provide your personal and contact details. You must also list any eligible spouse and children under 21, unless they are already a US citizen or lawful permanent resident, regardless of whether they are living with you or intend to immigrate alongside you.

Failure to list any eligible spouse or children, or listing someone who is not in fact your spouse or child, is grounds for disqualification. Although the US Visa Lottery is limited to one entry per person, each spouse may submit their own entry if each meets the eligibility requirements. If either spouse is selected, the other is entitled to apply as a dependant.

All entrants must enrol with a recent visa-compliant photo, taken within the last six months, as well as a photograph of any eligible spouse and children. Submitting the same photograph that was submitted with a prior year’s entry will result in disqualification from the US visa lottery.

Having registered, you must print and retain your confirmation page so that you will be able to check your entry status online. It is crucial that you retain a record of your unique confirmation number, as this is the only way to check whether your entry has been selected. You will not otherwise be notified.

Successful entrants will be directed to a confirmation page providing instructions on how to apply for a visa, including information about fees connected with that application.

 

What are the odds for the US visa lottery?

 

The US Visa Lottery is drawn from random computerised selection from among qualified entries across six geographic regions, although no single country may receive more than 7% of the available diversity visas in any one year.

Given the likelihood that some of the first 50,000 persons selected in the US Visa Lottery will not qualify for a diversity visa, or pursue their cases to visa issuance, more than 50,000 entries will be initially selected to ensure that the Department of State issues all available visas.

The number of visas eventually issued to natives of each country will depend on the regional limits established, how many entrants come from each country and how many of the selected entrants are found eligible. However, all entries received within each region will have an equal chance of being selected.

Each month, diversity visas will be issued to applicants who are eligible for issuance during that month, as long as visas are still available. Once all of the available visas have been issued, the program will end for that year. As visa numbers could be exhausted quickly, successful entrants should be prepared to act promptly.

 

US Visa Lottery FAQs

 

What is the US visa lottery?

The US visa lottery, officially called the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, offers individuals from countries with low immigration rates to the United States the opportunity to apply for a green card.

 

Who is eligible for the US visa lottery?

Applicants must be from an eligible country and meet either educational requirements, such as a high school diploma, or work experience criteria in a qualifying job.

 

How do I apply for the US visa lottery?

Applications must be submitted online through the official US Department of State website during the designated entry period.

 

Is there a fee to enter the visa lottery?

No, entering the visa lottery is free. However, winners must pay processing fees during the green card application process.

 

How are winners selected in the lottery?

Winners are selected randomly by a computer system. Selection does not guarantee a visa; winners must meet all eligibility and documentation requirements.

 

Can I submit multiple applications to increase my chances?

No, submitting multiple applications can lead to disqualification. However, eligible spouses may each submit one application and include the other as a derivative.

 

What happens if I win the lottery?

Winning means you are eligible to apply for a green card but must complete the application process and meet all requirements before a visa is issued.

 

Are there scams related to the visa lottery?

Yes, be cautious of fraudulent websites or services claiming to guarantee selection. Always apply through the official US Department of State website.

 

Glossary

 

Term	Definition
US Visa Lottery	Officially known as the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, a system offering green cards to individuals from countries with low immigration rates to the United States.
Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV Program)	An annual program run by the US Department of State to increase diversity in US immigration by issuing up to 50,000 visas.
Qualifying Country	A country whose natives are eligible to apply for the DV Program due to low immigration rates to the United States in recent years.
High School Diploma	A minimum educational qualification required to apply for the visa lottery, equivalent to completing secondary education in the United States.
Work Experience Requirement	An alternative to the education requirement, requiring two years of experience in a job that demands at least two years of training or experience.
Green Card	A permanent resident card that allows a non-citizen to live and work in the United States permanently.
US Department of State	The federal agency that manages the Diversity Visa Lottery and oversees US foreign affairs and visa issuance.
Derivative Applicants	Spouses and unmarried children under 21 years of age who can be included in a principal applicant’s visa application.
Fraudulent Services	Unofficial websites or organizations that claim to guarantee selection in the visa lottery, often used to scam applicants.
Entry Period	The designated timeframe each year during which eligible individuals can submit applications for the DV Program.