DV-2026 Diversity Visa Lottery
The Diversity Visa (DV) Program issues approximately 55,000 immigrant visas per year via random lottery to nationals of countries with historically low US immigration. Created by the Immigration Act of 1990, the program is administered by the U.S. Department of State.
DV-2026 registration was: October 2, 2024 - November 7, 2024. This page covers the DV-2026 results (now in the visa-application phase) and serves as evergreen reference for the DV program eligibility rules.
DV-2026 ineligible countries (19)
Natives of the following countries are NOT eligible for DV-2026 because their countries sent more than 50,000 immigrants to the US in the previous 5-year period:
- Bangladesh
- Brazil
- Canada
- China (mainland + Hong Kong)
- Colombia
- Cuba
- Dominican Republic
- El Salvador
- Haiti
- Honduras
- India
- Jamaica
- Mexico
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Philippines
- Republic of Korea (South Korea)
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
Notes:
- Natives of Macau SAR and Taiwan ARE eligible.
- Cuba is newly INELIGIBLE for DV-2026 (was eligible in prior years).
- Reason: each of these countries had more than 50,000 natives immigrate to US in previous 5 years.
Hispanic-origin country eligibility for DV-2026
| Country | DV-2026 eligible? | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Mexico | ❌ NO | Over 50K immigrants in past 5 years |
| Guatemala | ✅ YES | On eligible list |
| El Salvador | ❌ NO | Over 50K immigrants in past 5 years |
| Honduras | ❌ NO | Over 50K immigrants in past 5 years |
| Cuba | ❌ NO | Newly ineligible for DV-2026 |
| Colombia | ❌ NO | Over 50K immigrants in past 5 years |
| Venezuela | ❌ NO | Over 50K immigrants in past 5 years |
| Dominican Republic | ❌ NO | Over 50K immigrants in past 5 years |
| Peru | ✅ YES | On eligible list |
| Ecuador | ✅ YES | On eligible list |
| Argentina | ✅ YES | On eligible list |
| Nicaragua | ✅ YES | On eligible list |
How the DV program works
- Registration window (annual, usually October-November): Submit your online entry at dvprogram.state.gov (on cost, see the fee note below)
- Random selection: State Department randomly selects ~80,000-100,000 applicants from millions of valid entries
- Status check (starting following May): Selected entrants notified via dvprogram.state.gov (NOT email — beware scams)
- Visa application: Selected entrants file DS-260 (immigrant visa application) and proceed to consular interview at US embassy/consulate, OR adjust status if eligible
- Visa issuance: Issued based on rank order until ~55,000 cap reached. Many selected applicants do NOT receive visas due to cap.
DV eligibility requirements
To apply for the DV lottery, you must:
- Be a native of an eligible country (NOT citizen — birth-country rule)
- Meet education or work experience requirements: high school education (12 years of formal study) OR 2 years of work experience in last 5 years in an occupation requiring 2 years of training (per Department of Labor O*NET classification)
- Be inadmissible-free (no disqualifying immigration violations, certain criminal convictions, etc.)
Common DV scams to AVOID
- “Won the lottery” emails from anyone — State Department only notifies via dvprogram.state.gov status check
- Paid “DV submission” services — no third party can enter for you; only the dvprogram.state.gov site is official
- Money demanded by anyone other than State — State’s two official pages disagree on whether registration costs $1.00 or nothing (see the fee note below), so check travel.state.gov rather than assuming either way; the $330 Diversity Visa Application Fee is paid at the embassy interview AFTER selection
- “Pre-approval” or “guaranteed visa” services — selection is random; no service can improve odds
Report DV scams to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov or 1-877-FTC-HELP. The State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs publishes scam warnings at travel.state.gov.
Related procedural information
- USCIS Form I-485 — Adjustment of Status — if DV winner is already in US in valid status
- Visa Bulletin priority dates — DV cases process under their own annual cap
- Find an immigration attorney — for DV winners with complex cases
- BIA-recognized legal help by state — free representation
Last verified: 2026-09-10. Source: U.S. Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs DV Program. General procedural information — not legal advice. DV rules change annually; verify current eligibility at travel.state.gov before applying.
Recent fee, deadline, and contact context (2025-2026)
The Diversity Visa Program has a statutory worldwide level of 55,000 immigrant visas a year — INA § 201(e), 8 U.S.C. § 1151(e): “The worldwide level of diversity immigrants is equal to 55,000 for each fiscal year.” NACARA does not add to that number: Pub. L. 105-100 § 203(d) provides that the number “shall be reduced by 5,000 from the number of visas otherwise available under that section,” so about 50,000 DV visas are actually available. There is no 60,000 statutory cap.
What it costs — two official State Department pages disagree, so we quote both and pick no winner. State’s Fees for Visa Services table, read September 10, 2026, lists a “Diversity Visa Registration Fee (paid at time of registration only by the principal applicant) $1.00” next to the “Diversity Visa Application Fee (per person applying as a DV program selectee for a DV category immigrant visa) $330.00.” State’s own DV entry page still says “There is no cost to register for the DV Program,” and its DV Instructions call it “the free, online application.” Verify the amount on travel.state.gov before you pay anything. Some applicants also pay USCIS adjustment-of-status fees if they process inside the US.
For DV-2026 (program year FY 2026), the registration period was October 2, 2024 - November 7, 2024. Status checks began May 2025. Visa issuance ran through September 30, 2026; unused DV-2026 visas do NOT roll over. Update — Oct. 8, 2026: in Medani v. Trump (N.D. Cal. No. 5:26-cv-06332), a federal court ordered the State Department on September 30, 2026 to take reasonable steps for ten more days past the fiscal year to reconsider FY-2026 Diversity Visa applications refused solely under its two pause policies, and on October 1, 2026 paused that order for ten days while the State Department prepared guidance for consulates. On October 14, 2026 the government filed a notice of appeal to the Ninth Circuit, and the court’s next status conference is set for October 22, 2026. See our case page.
DV-2027: as of September 10, 2026 the State Department has not published DV-2027 instructions or a registration period. Its DV Instructions page still says “The processing requirements below are for the DV-2026 program,” and its Important Notices cover only DV-2026 and DV-2025. Do not assume an October-November window — watch travel.state.gov/dvlottery.
US Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs: 1-202-485-7600 (main switchboard). Visa information for DV: 1-202-485-8222 (recorded line, business hours). DV scam reporting: FTC 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). USCIS Contact Center for DV adjustment of status questions: 1-800-375-5283 Monday-Friday 8:00am-8:00pm Eastern Time.