The US Green Card Lottery (“Diversity Visa Lottery”)

If Google is anything to go by, tens of thousands of people dream of a life in America every year and search for tips and answers with queries like "how to get a green card" or "green card application" .

The easiest route to a green card is the Green Card Lottery.

The US government gives away up to 55,000 green cards through the DV program. Or rather, it raffles them off. Every year, the Diversity Visa program grants permanent residence (a "green card") to up to 55,000 randomly selected people from underrepresented nationalities. It gives individuals and families who would otherwise have no chance of immigrating legally to the United States a way to get a green card.

To enter the Diversity Visa Lottery (also known as the Green Card Lottery), all you need to do is fill out a simple online form. Registration usually runs every year from early October to early November. Winners are chosen at random and receive a green card together with their immediate family members.

In this guide we explain who is eligible and how you can apply too. What are your odds in the Green Card Lottery? Well, it is a lottery where the prize is "the American Dream". That says it all!

1Cost

Starting with DV-2027, entering the Green Card Lottery costs a registration fee of $1, paid directly when you register online; before that, entry was free. If you win, you will also have to pay the mandatory green card fees. If you are selected, you will find information and details on the required fees at dvprogram.state.gov.

2Timeline

Green Card Lottery winners are usually notified 7 months after they enter. After selection, it can take up to 14 months to get an interview appointment and receive your visa, depending on how quickly you apply for it.

An example: for the 2026 Green Card Lottery (DV-2026), registration ran from early October to early November 2024, and winners were announced from May 2025. They could then only apply for the visa during fiscal year 2026, that is, from October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026. The sooner you apply, the sooner you will get an interview appointment and have your visa issued.

Once you have your visa, you must enter the United States by the expiration date shown on it. A Diversity Visa is usually valid for up to 6 months from the date of issue.

3Requirements

There are two main requirements for a Diversity Visa:

3.1Country of birth

To qualify for the Diversity Visa, you must come from a country that has sent fewer than 50,000 immigrants to the United States over the past 5 years. The list of eligible nationalities changes from year to year, but Canada, China, India and Mexico are never on it, because these countries already send large numbers of immigrants to the United States.

For the 2026 entry period (DV-2026), the following nationalities were not eligible:

• Bangladesh
• Brazil
• Canada
• China (including Hong Kong SAR)
• Colombia
• Cuba
• Dominican Republic
• El Salvador
• Haiti
• Honduras
• India
• Jamaica
• Mexico
• Nigeria
• Pakistan
• Philippines
• South Korea
• Venezuela
• Vietnam

The United Kingdom has no longer been on the exclusion list since DV-2024. For more information, the Department of State keeps a list of all eligible countries.

If your home country is not eligible, there are still two ways you can qualify for the Diversity Visa:

If your spouse comes from an eligible country, you can apply together with your spouse and list your spouse's country of birth on the entry.

If neither of your parents was a legal resident of your own country of birth, you can choose your mother's or father's country of birth.

3.2Education

The second key requirement for the Diversity Visa is that you have at least a high school diploma, or that within the last five years you have worked for at least two years in an occupation that requires at least two years of training.

4How to enter the Green Card Lottery

Entering the lottery is fairly simple. During the registration period, usually from early October to early November, you fill out a form on the Department of State website and pay the $1 registration fee. Most questions are easy to understand, but a few points are worth some extra guidance:

• Under "country of birth", enter the country where you were born, regardless of where you live now. If the country has a different name today than when you were born, use its current name.
• Under "country of eligibility", enter either your country of birth or, if you are allowed to, your spouse's or your parents' country of birth. The country where you currently live is irrelevant for this question.
• Spouse: you must list your spouse, even if they do not live with you and do not intend to immigrate with you.
• Children: you must list all your biological and adopted children, whatever their age. You should also list all your stepchildren under 21, even if you are no longer married to their parent.

You also need to include a recent photo (no more than 6 months old) of yourself, your spouse and your children. The photo requirements are the same as for a green card application.

Once you have submitted your entry, be sure to keep your confirmation number: it is the only way to find out whether you have been selected.

5Selection and notification

Diversity Visa Lottery winners are drawn at random. Each region of the world is allocated a set number of visas, and no country receives more than 7% of the diversity visas available in any given year.

The exact dates vary, but entrants can usually check the status of their entry from early May of the following year using the Entrant Status Check link on the Diversity Visa website. That is why keeping your confirmation number matters so much: without it, you cannot find out whether you have won.

If you are selected, you and your family members must meet the same requirements as any other US green card applicant. Certain kinds of criminal records can make you ineligible for a green card, and some health issues can make getting one difficult or impossible.

6What happens next?

If you are selected (congratulations, future green card holder!), act quickly, even if your move is still a year or more away. Your application has to be processed and the visa issued by the end of the fiscal year. On top of that, more people are selected than there are visas available, so if you wait until the last minute, the visas may already be gone.

When you are notified that you have won a diversity visa, you receive a rank number that determines when you can apply. From late July, you can check the Department of State's Visa Bulletin to see when you can file. The first visas become available on October 1, the first day of the US government's fiscal year, and you can file up to 90 days in advance.

7If you live outside the United States

The vast majority of people selected for a diversity visa are outside the United States and apply for their green card through a US consulate in their home country. As soon as you see that a visa is available, submit Form DS-260 to the National Visa Center. Once your application has been processed, it is forwarded to the US consulate, which schedules an interview. If you meet all the requirements, your immigrant visa is approved after the interview.

8If you are in the United States

If you are in the United States on a temporary status ("nonimmigrant status") when you win the Diversity Visa Lottery, you apply for your green card through US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) by filing Form I-485. File as soon as a visa is available according to the Visa Bulletin.

9Avoiding scams

Sadly, scammers sometimes use the Diversity Visa program to take advantage of would-be immigrants. Here are a few tips to help you avoid diversity visa scams:

• Entering the Diversity Visa Lottery costs only the official registration fee of $1, paid solely when you register through the official portal dvprogram.state.gov. Anyone claiming to collect further fees on behalf of the Department of State is trying to scam you.
• The Department of State does not notify winners by mail or email. The only way to find out whether you have been selected is to check your entry with the Entrant Status Check.

The Diversity Visa Lottery is like any other lottery: the odds of winning are not high. But if luck is on your side, it can get you to the United States even without a family or employment route. If you are married to a US citizen, though, applying for a marriage-based green card is definitely the better option.

10Frequently asked questions about the diversity visa

10.1What if I am married to a US citizen or have other family ties to the United States?

If you are married to a US citizen, you can still enter the Diversity Visa Lottery. There is little point, though, as you can almost always get to the United States faster by applying for a marriage-based green card instead.

If another family member could sponsor your green card, entering the lottery may still be worthwhile. Some family-based categories, such as siblings of US citizens, take a very long time, and winning the Diversity Visa Lottery could get you to the United States much sooner.

10.2How many diversity visas does each eligible country get?

The number of diversity visas allocated to each country follows a formula set out in Section 203(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). No country receives more than 7% of the total diversity visas available each year.

10.3Is there a minimum age to apply for a diversity visa?

There is no minimum age, but the requirement of a high school diploma or work experience rules out most people under 18.

10.4How long does it take to get a diversity visa?

Green card lottery winners are usually notified 7 months after entering. It can then take up to 14 months for the government to schedule your interview and issue your visa, depending on how quickly you apply.

10.5Can I enter the Diversity Visa Lottery while I am in the United States?

Yes, you can enter the green card lottery from anywhere, including from inside the USA.

10.6Can my spouse and I each submit a separate entry?

Yes, each spouse can submit their own diversity visa entry. If either is selected, the other qualifies for a green card as a family member.

10.7What if I have lost my confirmation number?

You need your confirmation number to access the Entrant Status Check, the online portal that shows whether you have been selected. If you have lost it, you can retrieve it using the email address you registered with.

10.8How much does it cost to enter the green card lottery?

From DV-2027 onward, entering the Diversity Visa Lottery costs a registration fee of $1. If you win and want to apply for the diversity visa, you also have to pay the mandatory green card application fees.

10.9Why was the Diversity Visa Lottery created?

The diversity visa was created by the Immigration Act of 1990 to promote diversity among immigrants to the United States. Most immigrants have always come from a handful of countries, so Congress introduced the Diversity Visa program to increase immigration from smaller countries and countries with few immigrants.

10.10How long is a green card valid?

Permanent resident status has no expiry; the green card itself is usually issued for 10 years and then has to be renewed.

The State Department postponed the DV-2027 registration period on November 5, 2025. Our visa overview shows you every other route to the USA, and once you have your green card, Becoming a US citizen answers the next question.

In short

• Every year, the Diversity Visa Lottery gives away up to 55,000 green cards to people from countries with low immigration to the USA.
• You can enter if your country of birth is eligible and you have a high school diploma or two years of experience in a qualifying occupation.
• Registration is online through the Department of State's portal; the only way to see your result is the Entrant Status Check with your confirmation number.
• If you are selected, you must complete your visa or adjustment of status by the end of the fiscal year and meet the same requirements as any other green card applicant.

How we help you

• Visa RoadmapIn writing: which visa fits you and your family, prepared with the immigration attorney on the firm's team.
• Visa and Green Card ConsultationWhich route to the USA fits you, settled in one conversation.