DIVERSITY VISA · GREEN CARD LOTTERY
How the U.S. green card lottery works: the steps from entry to green card, who can enter, how visas are split, and what it costs.
See the statistics01 · DV LOTTERY TIMELINE
02 · ELIGIBILITY
Country of birth decides it, not citizenship or where you live. In some cases you can claim your spouse's or a parent's country.
Either 12 years of schooling, or two years of work in the past five years in a job that needs at least two years of training.
Each sent more than 50,000 immigrants to the U.S. in the past five years.
Cuba was added after the DV-2026 instructions were published. The DV-2027 list has not been published yet. Born in a listed country? See the FAQ.
Official entry site: dvprogram.state.gov · DV-2026 instructions
03 · VISA SPLIT
Some go to another program (NACARA) first, leaving about 54,850 for DV-2026. About twice as many people are selected.
Regions that sent fewer immigrants to the U.S. in the past five years get a larger share.
That is about 3,850 visas a year for any single country.
04 · COSTS
These U.S. government fees are the same in every country. The medical exam, police certificates, and travel to the embassy cost different amounts depending on where you live.
Visa interview at a U.S. embassy or consulate
$566
The USCIS immigrant fee is paid online after the visa is issued and before travel; the green card is not mailed without it.
Form I-485 adjustment of status
$1,771
Only for selectees already in the U.S. in lawful status. Most people who entered on a visa waiver (ESTA) cannot adjust status.
Required for every applicant, done by an approved doctor whose price depends on the country. Missing vaccines cost extra.
Applicants 16 and older need police certificates; documents not in English need certified translations.
Pay $950 instead of $1,440.
Avoid scams: The only official entry site is dvprogram.state.gov, and entering costs $1. Anyone charging more to enter for you, promising better odds, or emailing that you won and asking for money is not the U.S. government.
05 · APPLYING IN THE U.S.
If you are in the U.S. in H-1B or another lawful status and qualify for adjustment of status, you can apply through USCIS using Form I-485. For this route, Form DS-260 is generally not required. Holding H-1B status alone does not establish eligibility.
You still pay the DV processing fee to the State Department and a separate Form I-485 filing fee to USCIS. Include a copy of your DV fee receipt with Form I-485.
Pay for each person adjusting status with a cashier's check or postal money order, noting your DV case number. Include the completed payment form and a self-addressed stamped envelope so the receipt can be mailed back. Use the address in the official payment instructions.
Once you have confirmed eligibility and decided to adjust status, arrange payment while preparing Form I-485. Keep the receipt for your USCIS interview; do not wait until interview day to pay.
Check the monthly Visa Bulletin and USCIS filing rules before submitting Form I-485. Paying the DV fee does not reserve a visa or move your number forward. If your number never becomes eligible, you cannot receive a green card through that year's DV selection, and any DV fee already paid is nonrefundable. If your number is high, consider this risk before paying.
Under the usual DV rules, adjustment must be approved by September 30 of the selected fiscal year; filing before that date is not enough. Visa numbers can run out earlier.
State Dept. DV adjustment process · USCIS eligibility and filing rules · Form I-485 guide
06 · DV LOTTERY FAQ
You need to be a native of an eligible country and have either a high school education or its equivalent (12 years of schooling) or two years of qualifying work experience in the past five years in a job that requires at least two years of training. You do not need proof to enter, but you must show it at the interview.
Country of birth. Citizenship and where you live do not matter. A passport or residence in an eligible country does not make you eligible.
Yes, in two cases. Through your spouse: if your spouse was born in an eligible country, you can claim their country, as long as you are both named on the selected entry and are issued visas and enter the U.S. together. Through a parent: if neither of your parents was born in or living in your country of birth when you were born, you can claim a parent's country of birth.
Yes. If both of you are eligible, each can submit an entry listing the other as spouse. If either is selected, the whole family can apply.
The most common reasons are more than one entry for the same person, leaving out a spouse or child under 21, and photos that do not meet the rules: taken in the last 6 months, no glasses, plain white background, 600 × 600 pixel JPEG under 240 KB.
Yes. Since April 10, 2026, entries must include a valid, unexpired passport and a scan of its biographic and signature pages. Only a few people, such as stateless people, are exempt.
No. About twice as many people are selected as there are visas. Cases move by rank number, and the program ends on September 30 or when the visas run out, whichever comes first.
Yes. H-1B and L-1 allow immigrant intent, so they are not affected. For F-1, B, and visa waiver (ESTA) travel, which require nonimmigrant intent, filing Form DS-260 after selection can be raised when you apply for a visa or enter the U.S.
Yes. The DV lottery is a separate green card category. If you are selected, you can pursue both and use whichever finishes first. See the PERM green card guide
No. Entering takes one form at dvprogram.state.gov and costs $1. No one can improve your odds, and the State Department never asks selectees to wire money.