Applicants have only until today, November 7, to apply for the United States Diversity Visa (DV) for the financial year 2026, a pathway offering permanent residency to those from low-immigration countries.
The DV Program, administered by the US State Department, provides 55,000 immigrant visas annually. Eligible applicants can also include their spouses and children. However, those from certain high-immigration countries, including India, China, and Brazil, are excluded from this year’s programme due to their high immigration rates to the US in recent years.
How to check lottery results
Registrants will be able to check their lottery status from May 3, 2025, using their confirmation number on the State Department’s lottery entrant status page. Successful applicants are advised to retain this number, as it will be essential in verifying their entry status through to September 2026.
Increase in successful applicants in recent years
The DV Program has seen high demand, with 120,700 immigrants obtaining US permanent residency through the lottery in 2023. This marked an increase from 48,400 in 2022. A US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) explained, “These individuals enter as legal permanent residents on green cards but still need to meet naturalisation requirements, such as moral character criteria.”
Eligibility and restrictions for DV-2026
To be eligible for the DV-2026 lottery, applicants must have been born in countries with low immigration rates to the United States. Nationals from the following countries are not eligible:
Bangladesh
Brazil
Canada
China (including Hong Kong SAR)
Colombia
Cuba
Dominican Republic
El Salvador
Haiti
Honduras
India
Jamaica
Mexico
Nigeria
Pakistan
Philippines
South Korea
Venezuela
Vietnam
However, individuals born in Macau SAR and Taiwan remain eligible. Additionally, those born in ineligible countries may still apply if their spouse or a parent was born in an eligible country. For example, an Indian-born applicant with a Nepali spouse may qualify for the programme.
Strict rules for application submissions
Applicants are allowed only one entry per registration period. Any individual submitting multiple entries will be automatically disqualified. Each applicant must keep their confirmation number secure, as it will be required to check their entry status.
