U.S. Department of State Opens Diversity Visa Lottery Registration for FY 2026.
On October 2, 2024, the U.S. Department of State began the registration period for the annual Diversity Visa (DV) lottery for fiscal year 2026. This online registration is free for all applicants and will remain open until noon EST on November 7, 2024.
Key Details
Registration Deadline: The FY 2026 Diversity Visa lottery will close on November 7, 2024, at noon EST.
Eligibility: The lottery is available to individuals born in countries that have historically low rates of immigration to the United States.
Education Requirement: Applicants must have a high school education or its equivalent, or they must have two years of qualifying work experience within the last five years that requires at least two years of training or experience.
Certain countries are excluded from eligibility for FY 2026. Individuals born in Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (including mainland and Hong Kong SAR), Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Korea, Venezuela, and Vietnam are not eligible.
Applicants who are ineligible based on their country of birth may register using the birth country of their spouse or, in some cases, their parent.
The State Department will allocate 55,000 immigrant visa numbers through this lottery. Applicants can also include their spouses and children in their applications.
Starting May 3, 2025, each registrant must use their unique confirmation number to check their lottery status on the State Department’s lottery entrant status page. It is crucial to save this number during registration, as selected applicants can start submitting immigrant visa petition applications beginning October 1, 2025.
Next Steps
Given the complexities involved in many employment-based green card categories, employers are encouraged to advise eligible employees to participate in the Diversity Visa lottery.
The Immigration Practice Group at Ogletree Deakins will continue to monitor developments and provide updates on their Immigration blog as more information becomes available.
The registration period for the FY 2026 Diversity Visa lottery runs from October 2 to November 7, 2024, at noon EST.
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