Diversity Visa Program

The Diversity Visa (DV) Program, also known as the Green Card Lottery, offers a limited number of immigrants visas each year to people from countries with historically low immigration to the United States, providing a potential path to permanent residency.

The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program was created to diversify the immigrant population in the United States by selecting applicants from countries with low levels of immigration over the previous five years. Each year, approximately 50,000–55,000 diversity visas are made available to qualified applicants through a randomized lottery process administered by the U.S. Department of State. Being selected in the lottery does not itself grant a green card; it simply gives the opportunity to apply for an immigrant visa or adjustment of status before the fiscal year deadline.

To qualify for the DV Program, you must be a native of a country that is eligible in that particular year, meaning a country with relatively low recent levels of immigration to the United States. If you were born in a country that is not eligible, you may in some cases qualify based on your spouse’s or, in limited circumstances, your parents’ country of birth. You must also meet an education or work experience requirement, usually by having at least a high school education (or its equivalent) or two years of recent work experience in an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience. In addition, all applicants must be admissible to the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act, which means that certain criminal, immigration, or security issues can still lead to a denial even if you are selected.

Each year, the Department of State announces the opening of the online registration period for the Diversity Visa Program and publishes the list of eligible countries and instructions. During the registration window, eligible individuals submit a free electronic entry form on the official DV website, including required personal information and a compliant digital photograph, and receive a confirmation number. After the registration period closes, entries are randomly selected by computer, and applicants can use their confirmation number to check online whether they were chosen for further processing. Those who are selected must then complete the required immigrant visa or adjustment of status forms, gather civil and financial documents, undergo a medical examination, and attend an interview, all within strict time limits for that fiscal year. If the application is approved and a visa is issued before the program year ends, the DV principal applicant and qualifying family members may become U.S. permanent residents.

Many applicants are disqualified because they submit more than one entry in a given year, fail to follow the photo and technical requirements, or provide incomplete or inaccurate information on the online form. Others lose their chance by missing deadlines, not checking their selection status with the confirmation number, or not completing the visa process before the annual visa numbers run out. It is also important to avoid unofficial or fraudulent websites and agencies that charge fees to “guarantee” selection, since the only legitimate registration is completed directly on the U.S. Department of State’s DV website and the government does not charge a fee to submit an entry.

Although the initial lottery entry is straightforward, Diversity Visa cases often involve complex questions about eligibility, prior immigration history, criminal records, or family members. An experienced immigration lawyer can evaluate whether you qualify to enter the DV Program, explain the risks and benefits in your particular situation, and help you understand what it means if you are selected. If you win the lottery, an attorney can guide you through completing your visa or adjustment of status application, preparing supporting documents, and getting ready for the interview so that you do not lose this once‑in‑a‑lifetime opportunity because of avoidable mistakes.