Frequently Asked Questions.

No. The Department of State has not announced the DV-2027 registration start date. Its November 5, 2025 notice says the opening date and Entrant Status Check date will be announced as soon as practicable.

No. DV-2027 registration dates have not been announced. Check only travel.state.gov and dvprogram.state.gov for an official opening notice.

No. The entry period has not opened. Do not confuse this with the separate December 23, 2025 pause on diversity visa issuance; the Department says applicants may still submit visa applications and attend scheduled interviews, but no diversity visas are currently being issued.

No. The Department of State has not yet announced the DV-2027 registration start date. Updates will be published on the official government sites.

The application window for the DV Lottery 2026 cycle ended on November 7, 2024. The results were released on May 3, 2025, and you can check them until September 30, 2026. The next available cycle is DV Lottery 2027, which is currently delayed.

When the registration window opens, prepare compliant photos using our crop tool and submit the electronic form at the official portal. Current federal rules require a $1 electronic registration fee and the principal entrant's valid passport information plus a scan of its biographic and signature page, subject to limited exemptions. Follow the final DV-2027 instructions when published.

Results for the active DV-2026 lottery can be checked online until September 30, 2026, by entering your confirmation number, family name, and birth year into the official Entrant Status Check portal at dvprogram.state.gov. Results for the upcoming DV-2027 are not available since registration is delayed.

The U.S. Diversity Immigrant Visa Program aims to diversify the immigrant intake into the United States by selecting candidates from nations with historically low immigration volumes to the US.

The program is authorized annually, but registration dates can change. Use the exact dates in the current Department of State instructions instead of assuming an October-November window.

The Diversity Visa program was created by the U.S. Congress as part of the Immigration Act of 1990 to broaden the demographics of incoming U.S. residents.

No, it is not banned. It remains active, though Congress occasionally debates immigration reforms. Some countries are excluded each year if they have sent more than 50,000 immigrants to the U.S. in the previous five years.

Entrants submit a registration form along with digital photos. A computer program randomly selects entrants, who then undergo visa processing, interviews, and documentation reviews at embassies.

You enter the draw by submitting your application on the official government site dvprogram.state.gov during the open application window.

Since selection is entirely random, there is no way to "boost" selection odds. The best way to secure your chance is to ensure your application is completely valid: avoid duplicate submissions and use conforming photos to prevent automatic disqualification. Try our Photo Checker to validate your image.

Prepare compliant digital photos using our crop tool. When the officially announced registration period opens, complete the form at dvprogram.state.gov, pay only through the authorized government flow, and save your confirmation page.

Yes, selectors are chosen completely at random among valid submissions. No parameters like age, language capability, or work field influence selection probability.

The Department of State now charges a $1 electronic registration fee through an authorized U.S. government payment portal. If selected, each person applying for a diversity visa currently pays a separate $330 application fee. Avoid third parties adding unofficial fees.

Current rules require biographical information, qualifying photos, valid passport details, and a scan of the principal entrant's passport biographic and signature page, subject to limited exemptions. Additional civil, education or work, and police records are required later if selected.

Being selected does not guarantee a visa. It means you are eligible to submit the DS-260 visa application form, go through background screening, and attend a visa interview to qualify for a Green Card.

If approved, you and your spouse and unmarried children under 21 receive U.S. Green Cards, enabling you to permanently live, work, and study anywhere in the United States.