ImmigrantLotteryAnnual limitCountry-of-birth eligibilityNo sponsor

DV Diversity Immigrant Visa

The Diversity Visa lottery offers up to 55,000 green cards a year to natives of countries with low U.S. immigration; DV-2027 registration has not yet opened.

Last reviewed Oct 1, 2026Sources: Department of State · USCISReport an error

At a glance

Visas per year: Up to 55,000
DV-2027 registration: Not yet announced (as of October 1, 2026)
Registration fee: $1 (since September 16, 2025)
Visa application fee: $330 per person
Education or work: High school, or 2 years’ qualifying work in the last 5
Per-country cap: 7% of diversity visas

DV status on October 1, 2026. State paused all diversity visa issuance on December 23, 2025; it says that pause is no longer in effect as of August 28, 2026 under the court’s order in Medani et al. v. Trump et al. The same court temporarily vacated USCIS’s DV adjustment hold (PM-602-0193). DV-2027 entry dates have not been announced; the DV-2027 visa application period stays October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027. The October 2026 Visa Bulletin lists no DV rank cut-offs.

Overview

The Diversity Immigrant Visa program (INA 203(c)) makes up to 55,000 immigrant visas available each fiscal year to people from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States. Selectees are chosen by a randomized computer drawing, visas are spread across six geographic regions, and no single country may receive more than 7% in a year (DV-2026 instructions).

For DV-2026, natives of Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (mainland and Hong Kong born), Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Korea, Venezuela and Vietnam were not eligible, because more than 50,000 natives of each immigrated in the prior five years; Macau SAR and Taiwan natives were eligible. The DV-2027 list will be set in the DV-2027 instructions, which have not been published.

Selection does not guarantee a visa. More entrants are selected than there are visas, and every selectee and derivative must be issued a visa or adjust status by September 30 of the program year; unused eligibility does not carry over.

Who qualifies

Country of chargeability

Be a native of a DV-eligible country, or
Claim a spouse’s eligible country of birth (both must be on the selected entry, be issued visas and enter together), or
Claim a parent’s eligible country of birth if neither parent was born in or legally resident in the applicant’s country of birth

Education or work experience (INA 203(c)(2))

At least a high school education or its equivalent (a completed 12-year course of elementary and secondary education), or
Two years of work experience within the past five years in an occupation requiring at least two years of training or experience, as classified in O*NET

Entry and admissibility

Only one entry per person per registration period; multiple entries disqualify
From April 10, 2026, entrants must give valid passport details and upload the passport biographic page unless exempt (91 FR 11891)
Be admissible, including on public-charge grounds, and be issued the visa (or adjust) by September 30 of the program year

Duration & extensions

Status granted	Lawful permanent residence
Green card validity	Typically 10 years (USCIS M-274)
DV-2027 application window	October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 (State)
If not issued by September 30	Eligibility from that selection ends
Path to citizenship	Generally after 5 years as a permanent resident

Fees

Fees as published on October 1, 2026 on the State Department schedule and the USCIS fee schedule.

Fee	Amount	Who pays	Notes
DV registration fee	$1	Principal entrant	Paid electronically at registration; final rule 90 FR 44524, effective September 16, 2025.
Diversity Visa application fee	$330 per person	Each selectee and derivative	Paid to the embassy or consulate cashier at the time of the visa application and interview (adjustment applicants follow the Entrant Status Check instructions); not refundable if the visa is refused (DV instructions).
USCIS Immigrant Fee	$235 per person	Each immigrant	Paid online to USCIS after visa issuance.
Form I-485 (adjustment inside the U.S. only)	$1,440 paper / $1,390 online	Applicant	USCIS fee schedule; the $330 DV fee still applies.

Medical exam costs are set by panel physicians. State does not notify selectees by email or letter; results are available only through the Entrant Status Check.

Processing time

DV-2027 registration: Not yet announced; State said on November 5, 2025 it would announce dates “as soon as practicable” (notice).
DV-2027 visa year: Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027; Statutory deadline for issuance or adjustment.
Visas available: Up to 55,000; Per the DV instructions.

Key dates

Oct 2 – Nov 7, 2024DV-2026 online registration (the most recent completed entry period)

Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026DV-2026 visa year (ended)

Dec 23, 2025 – Aug 28, 2026State pause on DV issuance

Not yet announcedDV-2027 registration and Entrant Status Check dates

The October 2026 Visa Bulletin lists no DV rank cut-offs, since no DV-2027 selection has taken place. I-485 processing times vary — see USCIS processing times.

Application steps

1
Enter during the registration period
Submit one entry online on the official E-DV website during the announced window, pay the $1 registration fee, list your spouse and all eligible unmarried children under 21, and keep the confirmation number.
2
Check the Entrant Status Check
State does not notify selectees by email or letter; results appear only on the Entrant Status Check using the confirmation number.
3
Submit Form DS-260
Selectees who wish to immigrate submit a complete DS-260 for each family member; only complete applications are scheduled.
4
Pay fees and prepare documents
Pay the $330 per-person fee, gather civil documents, education or work evidence, and complete a medical exam.
5
Interview or adjust status
Attend the consular interview when scheduled, or file Form I-485 with USCIS if in the U.S. and eligible. The visa or adjustment must be completed by September 30.
6
Enter the United States
Travel within the visa’s validity, be admitted as a permanent resident, and pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee.

Required documents

For the selectee and each derivative

Valid passport (passport details are now collected at entry)
Birth certificate; marriage and divorce records where relevant
High school diploma and transcripts, or evidence of qualifying work experience
Police certificates and any court and prison records (civil documents)
Medical exam results and DS-260 confirmation; evidence relevant to public charge if requested

Dependents & family

The selectee’s spouse and unmarried children under 21 may immigrate as derivatives. A spouse or child who exists when the entry is submitted must be listed on it. Failure to list all eligible children, or listing someone who is not a child, may make the selectee ineligible. The Child Status Protection Act can protect a child who turns 21 after the entry was submitted. Derivatives must also be issued visas by September 30.

After you arrive

DV immigrants become permanent residents on admission (or on approval of Form I-485).

Step 1

Pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee

The $235 fee must be paid before the green card is produced.

Step 2

Keep U.S. residence

An absence of more than one year generally requires a reentry permit or a returning resident (SB-1) visa.

Step 3

Naturalization

Most permanent residents may apply for citizenship after five years of continuous residence, with physical presence for at least half that time.

Brother or sister of a U.S. citizen

Family-sponsored alternative with a long wait.

EB-3

Skilled workers and professionals

Employer-sponsored green card.

SB-1

Returning resident

For green-card holders stuck abroad over a year.

EB-2

Advanced degree or exceptional ability

Employment-based green card, including NIW.

Common questions

When can I enter DV-2027?

No date has been announced. State said on November 5, 2025 that it would announce the DV-2027 registration period “as soon as practicable” (notice). Check travel.state.gov only; the official entry site is the E-DV website.

Is the DV program still paused?

State says the December 2025 pause on DV issuance is no longer in effect as of August 28, 2026, under the Medani court order (State guidance). Proclamation 10998 still restricts immigrant visas for nationals of 39 countries.

How much does the DV lottery cost?

Entry costs $1 under a rule effective September 16, 2025. Selectees then pay $330 per person, plus the $235 USCIS Immigrant Fee after issuance and medical exam costs (fee schedule).

Which countries are not eligible?

For DV-2026, natives of 19 countries were excluded, including Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Cuba, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Vietnam. The DV-2027 list has not been published.

Can I adjust status in the U.S. as a DV selectee?

Yes, if otherwise eligible, by filing Form I-485 with USCIS; the adjustment must be approved by September 30 of the program year, because DV eligibility ends on that date. USCIS’s DV adjustment hold was temporarily vacated on August 28, 2026 (USCIS alert).

Official sources

Recent changes

Aug 28, 2026
DV pause and USCIS hold set aside. In Medani et al. v. Trump et al. (N.D. Cal. 26-cv-6332), the court temporarily vacated USCIS memo PM-602-0193; State says its December 2025 DV issuance pause is no longer in effect as of this date. Source ↗
Aug 21, 2026
75-country immigrant visa pause no longer in effect. Under the court’s order in CLINIC et al. v. Rubio, et al., State says the January 2026 pause on immigrant visa issuance to nationals of 75 countries ended as of August 21, 2026. Source ↗
Aug 5, 2026
Public charge bond pilot for immigrant visa applicants. State says consular officers may require certain immigrant visa applicants to apply for a public charge bond with USCIS under a pilot used for select cases; if the bond is approved, a visa previously refused under INA 212(a)(4) may be issued. Source ↗
Apr 10, 2026
Passport required in DV entries. Final rule (91 FR 11891, published March 11, 2026) requires entrants to provide valid passport information and upload the biographic page unless exempt. Source ↗
Jan 21, 2026
Immigrant visa issuance paused for nationals of 75 countries. State paused all immigrant visa issuance to nationals of 75 listed countries, citing public-benefits concerns. Interviews continued, but visas were not issued. The pause ended August 21, 2026 under a court order. Source ↗
Jan 1, 2026
Proclamation 10998 suspends immigrant visas for 39 nationalities. Proclamation 10998 (signed December 16, 2025; 90 FR 59717) took effect January 1, 2026. It fully suspends visa issuance to nationals of 19 countries and suspends immigrant visas for nationals of 19 more countries and Turkmenistan, with limited exceptions; case-by-case national-interest exceptions remain possible. Source ↗
Dec 23, 2025
State pauses all diversity visa issuance. State stopped issuing DVs pending a review of DV screening and vetting; interviews continued. USCIS placed DV adjustment cases on hold under PM-602-0193 (December 19, 2025). Source ↗
Nov 5, 2025
DV-2027 entry period postponed. State announced changes to the DV entry process and said it would announce the DV-2027 registration dates later; the DV-2027 visa year is unchanged. Source ↗
Sep 16, 2025
$1 DV registration fee. Final rule adds a $1 fee collected at the time of electronic DV registration, in addition to the $330 application fee. Source ↗

This page is general reference material compiled from the official sources above and is not legal advice. Eligibility depends on individual facts; rules and fees change, so confirm with the agency before you file. VisaTypes.com is not affiliated with USCIS, the Department of State or any government agency. Spotted an error? Tell us.