The United States has kicked off the application process for the 2026 Diversity Visa (DV) Program, also known as the Green Card Lottery, offering up to 55,000 foreign nationals the chance to apply for permanent residency. The application period runs from October 2 to November 5, 2024, with submissions to be completed online, according to the U.S. State Department. It is designed to benefit individuals from countries with historically low immigration rates to the U.S.
The DV lottery provides a pathway to permanent residency for successful applicants, although certain countries are ineligible due to high immigration numbers. This year, citizens of India, Bangladesh, and Brazil, among others, are excluded from applying as these countries have had more than 50,000 immigrants move to the U.S. in the past five years. Individuals born in ineligible countries may still qualify if their spouse or parents are from an eligible country. Other ineligible countries include:
- Canada
- China (including Hong Kong SAR)
- Colombia
- Cuba
- Dominican Republic
- El Salvador
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Jamaica
- Mexico
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Philippines
- South Korea
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
Applicants must meet specific educational or work experience criteria to participate in the lottery, including high school education or its equivalent or two years of work experience within the past five years in an occupation requiring a minimum of two years of experience or training.
The registration process is free, although selected individuals will be required to pay a non-refundable visa application fee of $330. Further costs, including medical examinations and certified records, may be required for the visa interview process. However, being selected in the lottery does not guarantee a visa, as applicants must meet all legal requirements to qualify.
The U.S. Department of State has emphasized that no email or mail notifications will be sent to winners, warning applicants to avoid scams from individuals or organizations claiming to notify winners or collect fees on behalf of the government. Participants can only check their status through the official DV lottery website, and keeping the confirmation number provided during registration is essential to tracking their application.
The results of the 2026 DV Program will be available in 2025. Selected individuals should retain their confirmation number until at least September 30, 2026, as it will be necessary for checking their visa status and next steps in the process.
Every year, roughly 1 million immigrants are awarded green cards that allow them to live and work in the U.S. as lawful permanent residents. For 50,000 people, roughly 5% of all green card recipients, that path is through the Green Card Lottery. Since 2005, more than 200 million people from countries around the world have applied for the program.
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