Diversity Visa Lottery 2025: Check your initial selection status online

Visa lottery results for 2025 were made available this past May 4. Every year, the program offers thousands of people from all over the world the opportunity to permanently reside in the U.S.

The Bureau of Consular Affairs of the Department of State announced Saturday that those who applied for the program, formally known as the Diversity Visa, could check online the status of their request by visiting the department's website.

"This is the only way to check if you have been selected. Selection does not guarantee a visa or an interview," the State Department tweeted.

If an applicant is selected, they will be directed to a confirmation page in which they will get detailed next steps, which include processing fees as well as an immigrant visa application, according to Noticias Telemundo.

After that, applicants will have an in-person consulate interview, in which it will be seen if they meet the requirements to immigrate to the U.S. This interview process also takes an in-depth look at criminal records and other security issues.

The results of the initial selection will be available from May 4 2024, until September 30, 2025. To minimize the risk of fraud, the State Department does not send letters or emails notifying applicants of their selection.

Every person selected, including family members, must obtain visas before September 30, 2025. Authorities don't expedite visas or adjust status after that date.

The Diversity Visa program offers people from countries with historically low immigration rates to the U.S. the opportunity to obtain a green card, which allows recipients to permanently and legally reside and work in the country.

The program only gives out 55,000 visas every fiscal year to randomly selected people from qualified registrations.

That is why, after the initial selection is announced, authorities recommend to act quickly, as they are often given out on a first-come first-serve basis.