DV Green Card Lottery: a simple guide

What is the DV Green Card Lottery?

U.S. law makes up to 55,000 diversity immigrant visas available each fiscal year to people from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States.

Each year the State Department opens an online entry period of at least 30 days. A computer then randomly selects entries. Being selected does not mean you receive a green card: it only gives you the chance to apply, and you must still qualify under all U.S. immigration rules.

More people are selected than there are visas, and visas run out. Selected entrants who do not finish the process by September 30 of their program year lose the chance.

Who administers the program?

The U.S. Department of State runs the DV program. Entries are accepted only at the official website dvprogram.state.gov. Selected entrants usually have a visa interview at a U.S. embassy or consulate.

People who are already in the United States and otherwise eligible may apply to adjust status with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

No private company, website, agent or app is authorized by the U.S. government to run, speed up or improve your chances in the lottery.

Who can participate?

You may enter if you were born in an eligible country and you meet the education or work requirement. You may enter from inside or outside the United States. There is no minimum age to enter, but the education or work requirement usually means children cannot qualify on their own.

General eligibility requirements

• You are a native of a country that is eligible for the program year (see the next section).
• You meet the education OR qualifying work experience requirement.
• You submit only ONE entry for yourself during the registration period. More than one entry disqualifies you.
• Your entry includes valid, unexpired passport information and a scan of your passport biographic page, unless you qualify for a limited exemption.
• You pay the $1 electronic registration fee when you enter.
• If selected, you must also pass all visa requirements, including security and medical checks.

Country-of-birth eligibility

Eligibility depends on the country where you were born, not on your citizenship or where you live today. The list of eligible countries can change every year and is published in the official instructions for each program year.

In limited cases, a person born in a non-eligible country may claim the country of birth of a spouse or, sometimes, a parent. The official instructions explain when this is allowed.

Do not rely on a list from a previous year. Wait for the official instructions for the current program year to check whether your country of birth is eligible.

Education or qualifying work experience

You must have ONE of the following:

• High school education or its equivalent: successful completion of a 12-year course of elementary and secondary education, or a comparable formal course in another country.
• Two years of work experience within the past five years in an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience. Consular officers use the U.S. Department of Labor’s O*NET OnLine database to decide whether an occupation qualifies.

If you are selected, you must prove this with documents. Keep your diploma, transcripts or employment records ready, with certified translations if they are not in English.

O*NET OnLine — U.S. Department of Labor ↗

How to submit an entry

1. Wait for the official announcement. Check dvprogram.state.gov and travel.state.gov for the program year’s dates and instructions.
2. Read the official instructions for that program year in full.
3. Prepare your valid passport, a new photo for yourself, and a new photo of your spouse and each eligible child.
4. Open the official website dvprogram.state.gov during the registration period only.
5. Complete the DS-5501 electronic entry form in Latin (Roman) letters, exactly as in your passport.
6. Upload your photos and the scan of your passport biographic page.
7. Pay the $1 registration fee and submit.
8. Save, print or photograph the confirmation number. It is the only way to check your result, and it cannot be recovered later.

It is free to read the instructions and fill out the form. Another person may help you fill it out, but the entry must be yours, with your correct information, and you must keep your own confirmation number.

Required personal information

• Full name, exactly as in your passport.
• Sex and date of birth.
• City and country of birth, and the country you claim eligibility from, if different.
• Passport number, issuing country and expiration date, plus a scan of the biographic page (JPEG only, up to 5 MB; PDF is not accepted).
• Current mailing address and the country where you live today.
• Email address and phone number, as requested by the current form.
• Highest level of education completed.
• Current marital status.
• Number of children, and the name, date and place of birth and photo of your spouse and every eligible child.

Digital photograph requirements

Photo mistakes are one of the most common reasons entries are disqualified. Federal regulations require:

• A color photo taken within the last six months.
• JPEG format.
• Facing the camera directly; head not tilted; head covers about half of the image.
• Plain, light-colored background (no patterns, no dark background).
• Face in focus. No eyeglasses or sunglasses.
• No hat or head covering unless worn for religious reasons, and even then the face must be fully visible.
• A new photo every year. Reusing a photo from a previous year’s entry can disqualify you.
• No filters, beauty apps or editing.

Earlier years’ instructions also required a square image of exactly 600 × 600 pixels and no more than 240 KB. Confirm the exact technical specifications in the current program year’s instructions before taking photos.

Spouse and children requirements

• You must list your legal spouse, even if you live apart or your spouse does not plan to move to the United States. Exceptions: a legally separated spouse or a spouse who is already a U.S. citizen or green card holder.
• You must list ALL unmarried children under 21, including biological children, legally adopted children and stepchildren, even if they do not live with you or will not immigrate.
• Children who are already U.S. citizens or green card holders do not need to be listed.
• Every listed family member needs their own new photo.
• Not listing a spouse or child, or adding someone who is not your family, is a serious mistake that can lead to refusal of the whole case.
• If you and your spouse are both eligible, each of you may submit a separate entry and list the other.

How to check lottery results

• Results are available ONLY through Entrant Status Check (ESC) at dvprogram.state.gov.
• You need your confirmation number, last name and year of birth.
• The State Department does not send selection letters, emails or text messages. A message claiming that you won is a scam.
• Check ESC yourself once results are announced, and check again later for interview instructions.
• If you lose your confirmation number, the official ESC page explains its own retrieval options. No one else can recover it for you.

What happens after selection

1. Read all instructions on ESC carefully.
2. Complete the immigrant visa application (DS-260) for you and each family member who will immigrate, as instructed.
3. Collect required civil documents: passports, birth and marriage certificates, police certificates, education or work records, with translations.
4. Wait for your interview to be scheduled. Interviews depend on your rank number and visa availability.
5. Complete the medical examination with an approved physician.
6. Attend the interview and pay the required DV application fee when instructed (the fee schedule published in September 2025 lists $330 per applicant).
7. If approved, travel to the United States before your visa expires. People inside the U.S. follow the USCIS adjustment of status process instead.

All visas must be issued by September 30 of the program year. Travel and visa policies for specific nationalities can change; check travel.state.gov for current rules affecting your country.

Common mistakes

• Submitting more than one entry for the same person.
• Using an old, edited or low-quality photo, or the same photo as last year.
• Forgetting to list a spouse or child, or listing a child who is not eligible.
• Name or date of birth that does not match the passport.
• Losing the confirmation number.
• Letting an agent keep your confirmation number or email account.
• Not having the required education or work experience.
• Waiting until the last days of registration when the website is busy.
• Trusting dates or links from social media instead of official websites.

Important notice

MYITEDU, LLC is not a law firm and is not affiliated with the U.S. government. This page provides general educational information only and is not legal advice. For legal advice about your situation, consult a licensed immigration attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative.