Diversity Visa Program (DV Program or DV Lottery)

YES, IT’S REAL! You really can win a lottery for a Green Card!

BEWARE OF FRAUD AND SCAMS. Read the Department of State’s Fraud Warning here.

The Diversity Visa Program (DV Program or DV Lottery), also known as the Green Card Lottery, is a United States Government immigrant visa lottery program to give foreign nationals a chance to obtain United States Lawful Permanent Residence and a Permanent Resident Card, also known as a “Green Card”.

The DV Program makes up to 55,000 immigrant visas available annually, drawn from a random selection among all entries, to individuals who are from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States.  The DV Program is administered by the U.S. Department of State (“DOS”) and conducted under the Immigration and Nationality Act.  DOS publishes new instructions for applicants each year.

For the Fiscal Year 2026 (DV-2026), nationals of Macau SAR and Taiwan are eligible!

Nationals born of the following countries are NOT eligible to apply, because more than 50,000 nationals of these countries immigrated to the United States in the previous five years:

Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (including Hong Kong SAR), Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, and its dependent territories, Venezuela, and Vietnam.

Only Two Requirements

  1. Your country of birth is on the list; and
  2. You have at least a high school education or its equivalent, or at least two years of work experience within the past five years in an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience to perform.

If you are not a national of a country with historically low rates of immigration to the United States, there are two other ways you might be able to qualify:

  1. Is your spouse a born national of a country with historically low rates of immigration to the United States? If yes, you can claim your spouse’s country of birth – provided that you and your spouse are named on the selected entry, are found eligible and issued diversity visas, and enter the United States at the same time.
  2. Are you a born national of a country that does not have historically low rates of immigration to the United States, but in which neither of your parents was born or legally resident at the time of your birth? If yes, you may claim the country of birth of one of your parents if it is a country whose nationals are eligible for the DV-2023 program. For more details, please contact us.

The entry application requires no filing fee and can only be filed electronically through the Department of State’s Electronic Diversity Visa Program webpage.  The online system for submitting DV entries will be open beginning in early October and will close for entries in early November annually.

To find out more information, please visit the Department of State’s webpage here.

We can help you complete the application and submit required documents and information online.  Contact us to learn more.

BEWARE OF FRAUD AND SCAMS.  Some websites and emails attempt to mislead applicants, posing as providers of official U.S. government information.  Read the Department of State’s Fraud Warning here.

  1. Submit an entry online
  2. Selection of applicants (The Department of State determines selectees through a randomized computer drawing)
  3. If you are selected, submit immigrant visa application
  4. Visa interview at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate
  5. Receive the Diversity Lottery immigrant visa and go to the United States

To learn more information, please visit the Department of State’s webpage here.

We can help you register online, and if you are selected, we can help you with the visa application, prepare the supporting documents and information, and help you prepare for your visa interview.  Contact us to learn more.