US opens Diversity Visa Lottery registration for 2026

Application Deadline and Eligibility

Registration will remain open until Tuesday, November 5, 2024, at noon EST (4 PM Ghana Time).

Applicants must submit their entries through the official DV lottery website. Eligibility for the DV lottery is restricted to individuals born in countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States.

Countries excluded from the FY 2026 DV lottery include Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Korea, Venezuela, and Vietnam. However, individuals born in Macau SAR and Taiwan are still eligible to participate.

Foreign nationals unable to register due to their country of birth may still qualify through a spouse or, in certain circumstances, through a parent’s country of birth. Additionally, all applicants must meet specific educational or work experience requirements—either a high school education or two years of qualifying work experience within the past five years.

How to Register

To apply, entrants must fill out an online form and upload a digital photo through the official DV lottery website. Each individual is allowed only one entry, and multiple registrations will lead to disqualification.

The process is entirely free, and applicants can include their spouse and children in their submission. Once the application is submitted, the entrant will receive a confirmation number that can be used to check their status when the results are announced in May 2025.

Selection and Notification Process

Lottery winners are selected through a random computer draw, and results will be available on the official DV lottery website starting May 3, 2025. Applicants must use their confirmation number to check their status, as the State Department will not notify winners via mail, e-mail, fax, or phone. The results will be accessible until at least September 30, 2026.

Warning Against Fraud

The State Department has issued warnings about potential scams related to the DV lottery, emphasizing that the official DV lottery website is the only authorized platform for registration.

No government fees are charged to enter the lottery, and applicants should be cautious of any website, individual, or company claiming to offer official registration services for a fee. Additionally, the State Department does not send notifications via email or fax.

Applicants are advised to be sceptical of any such communications, particularly those claiming a lottery win without proper registration.

For more information and to register, applicants should visit the official U.S. Department of State DV lottery website.

SOURCE: DAILY MAIL GH