Diversity Visa Lottery (Green Card Lottery): 2026 Status and Rules

No. Here is what happened:

The State Department has said it will announce DV-2027 registration dates "as soon as practicable," and that the DV-2027 visa year would still run from October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027. No registration opening date has been announced in the current State Department guidance. Track changes on our DV lottery status page.

When it runs, you must meet two tests:

1. Country of eligibility. You must be born in (or be able to claim through a spouse or, in some cases, a parent) a country that sent fewer than 50,000 immigrants to the US in the previous 5 years. The list changes each year. Countries with high immigration, such as India, mainland China, Mexico, and the Philippines, have been ineligible in recent years.
2. Education or work. You need a high school education or its equivalent (a 12-year course of study), or 2 years of work experience within the past 5 years in a job that requires at least 2 years of training or experience.

Nationals of countries covered by the travel ban generally cannot receive immigrant visas, including diversity visas, even if selected.

1. Entry. You submit one online entry, with a compliant photo, on dvprogram.state.gov during the registration period. More than one entry disqualifies you.
2. Selection. A computer randomly selects entries. Selection is only a chance to apply, not a visa: more people are selected than there are visas.
3. Status check. You check your result with your confirmation number on the official site. The State Department does not notify winners by email or letter.
4. Application. Selectees complete Form DS-260 and wait for their regional case number to become current in the DV section of the Visa Bulletin.
5. Interview and visa. Selectees are interviewed at a consulate (or apply for adjustment of status if eligible and in the US), and the visa must be issued before September 30 of the program year.

Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 can come with you if they are listed on your entry.

The DV-2026 program year ended September 30, 2026. The State Department says a court vacated the December 2025 issuance pause, but it immediately maintained a separate pause on issuing diversity visas, with no exceptions. Applicants may submit applications and attend interviews, but no diversity visas are issued under that guidance. The State Department has not announced an opening date for DV-2027 registration. See the official DV issuance guidance.

Being selected is only the start. Common reasons selectees do not get a visa:

• Entry mistakes. A spouse or child left off the original entry, more than one entry, or a photo that does not meet the rules can disqualify you, even after selection.
• No proof of education or work. You must show a completed high school diploma (or equivalent) or the qualifying work experience. A diploma earned after the entry period does not count.
• Running out of time. Visas cannot be issued after September 30 of the program year, and visa numbers can run out before then.
• Inadmissibility. Past visa violations, criminal records, misrepresentation, and the travel ban can all block a visa.
• Public charge. You must show you are unlikely to rely on government support, usually with a job offer, savings, or a US sponsor's affidavit.

If you have a complicated history, talk to a licensed immigration lawyer before your interview.

Entering the lottery has been free on the official site. If you are selected, you pay the diversity visa application fee at the consulate (see the State Department fee page), plus the medical exam, police certificates, and travel. Selectees in the US who adjust status pay the Form I-485 fee, $1,440 as of September 2026 (USCIS fee schedule). Fees paid are not refunded if no visa is issued before the deadline.

Fake lottery sites and emails are very common, especially while the program is paused.

• The only official site is dvprogram.state.gov. Entry has been free.
• The State Department does not email or call people to say they won.
• Anyone promising to "reserve" a DV-2027 spot, or to raise your chances, is not telling the truth.

Read our guides to immigration scams and notario fraud.

While the lottery is paused, look at routes that are open:

Our US green card overview lists every category.