(Reviewed July 2025)
Diversity Visa Program Summary
- Approximately 55,000 annual visas are awarded to applicants from eligible countries
- Eligible countries are those with historically low U.S. immigration rates
- Electronic Diversity Visa Entry Form (E-DV entry form) must be submitted online
- No filing fee
- Processing typically takes 12-18 months
What is the Diversity Visa Program (Green Card Lottery)?
The U.S. Department of State makes approximately 55,000 annual immigrant visas (green cards) available for foreign immigrants who participate in the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program. Those who receive visas through the program are chosen at random by a computer program. For this reason, the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program is also referred to as the visa green card lottery. The lottery was established by the United States Congress’ Immigration Act of 1990 to diversify the ethnic and cultural demographics within the United States. The green card lottery does so by only accepting applicants from countries with historically low rates of immigration into the United States.
In order to be eligible for the diversity visa program, applicants must be from an eligible country and meet strict educational or occupational requirements. Applicants for the program must submit their applications electronically during a small registration timeframe. The registration for the 2027 fiscal year is being accepted between October through November 2025. The DV Lottery registration dates change each year. For example, registration for the 2026 DV Lottery was from Oct. 2, 2024 to Nov. 7, 2024.
Visa Lottery Eligibility
Applicants must be natives of a qualifying country and must meet employment and education requirements to be eligible for the green card lottery.
The purpose of the diversity visa program is to encourage immigration from countries with historically low U.S. immigration rates. Thus, if more than 50,000 U.S. immigrants have come from a single country over the previous five year period, then applicants from that country are ineligible to participate in the Diversity Visa Program. However, applicants from such countries may still qualify in two ways.
- If their spouse is a native of an eligible country, or
- If their parents were not born in the ineligible country, or did not reside in the ineligible country at the time of the applicant’s birth. The applicant’s parents must also have been natives of an eligible country.
Ineligible Countries for the 2027 Green Card Lottery
Asia: Bangladesh, China (including Hong Kong SAR), India, Pakistan, South Korea, Philippines, Vietnam; North America: Canada, Mexico; South America, Central America & Caribbean: Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Venezuela; Africa: Nigeria; Other: Bangladesh
Employment and Education
In addition to country requirements, visa lottery applicants must also meet employment or education requirements. Applicants must meet one of two requirements:
- Completion of an elementary and secondary 12-year education curriculum, such as high school, or
- Two years of work experience at a job that requires at least two years of experience or education.
If prospective applicants cannot meet either the education or work requirements, then they are ineligible for the green card lottery.
Application Process
Eligible applicants must submit their DS 5501, also called the Electronic Diversity Visa Entry Form (E-DV entry form), electronically at the Department of State’s diversity lottery website. This form collects biographical information, including the applicant’s name, gender, birth place, country of citizenship, marital status, and contact information. Diversity lottery applicants must also provide a digital photograph of themselves with their application. No fees have to be submitted with the application.
Applications can only be submitted during the annual time period chosen by the Department of State. The application period for the 2027 lottery will start in the fall of 2025.
The applicants must check the Department of State’s website to find out when the winners of the lottery are announced. Immigrants who are granted diversity lottery visas (DVs) receive permanent resident cards (green cards), which enable them to permanently live and work in the United States. The spouse and children of those granted diversity visas can also apply for green cards so that they can also immigrate to the United States.
How can you combine the EB-5 visa with the Green Card lottery?
The U.S. government allows you to apply for multiple visa programs at once, including different immigrant categories, such as the Diversity Visa and the EB-5 visa. If you win the DV Lottery but your EB-5 process is already underway, you can choose the path that gives you the earliest permanent residence.
The EB-5 visa is a U.S. immigrant visa program that allows foreign investors to obtain a Green Card (permanent residency) by making a qualified investment in a new commercial enterprise that creates at least 10 full-time jobs for U.S. workers. Typically, the minimum investment is $800,000 if the project is in a Targeted Employment Area (TEA) or $1,050,000 in non-TEA locations. The EB-5 program provides a pathway for investors, their spouses, and unmarried children under 21 to live, work, and study anywhere in the United States. It is often used by individuals seeking greater freedom, educational opportunities, and long-term U.S. residency through investment rather than employment or family sponsorship.
