On October 4, the U.S. Department of State commenced the annual registration period for the Diversity Visa (DV) lottery for fiscal year (FY) 2025.
This online registration initiative is cost-free for all participants, and the State Department will keep accepting registrations until November 7, 2023.
The Diversity Visa program, often known as the green card lottery, runs for a period of one month, from October to November, annually.
For the fiscal year 2025, the State Department will allocate 55,000 green cards to foreign citizens.
The Diversity Visa (DV) program offers individuals from countries, such as Kenya, which have lower immigration rates to the United States, the opportunity to obtain a green card.
Annually, the Department of State oversees the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, as mandated by statute.
According to the State Department, section 203(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) provides for a class of immigrants known as “diversity immigrants” from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States.
Countries with traditionally low rates of immigration to the United States generally permit their native-born citizens to participate in the DV lottery. Conversely, individuals born in nations with historically high rates of immigration to the United States are typically ineligible to register for the DV lottery.
Countries which are eligible include, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, The People’s Republic of China (including mainland and Hong Kong born), Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Korea (South Korea), Venezuela, and Vietnam. Natives of Macau SAR and Taiwan are eligible.
To enter the DV lottery, all registrations must be submitted online and include a digital photograph. Additionally, applicants have the option to include a spouse and children in their entry.
Each individual is allowed only one entry. If a person submits multiple registrations, all of their entries will be disqualified.
The State Department’s DV lottery guidance reminds registrants to print and save their unique confirmation numbers. To combat fraud, the State Department will neither email nor affirmatively notify DV lottery selections directly.
The entrant must also have either at least a high school education or two years of work experience in an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience to perform.
Starting May 4, 2024, each registrant will need to use his or her unique confirmation number to check the lottery status by going to the State Department’s DV lottery entrant status page for results.
