US Embassy begins 2026 Diversity Visa Lottery Programme Registration

The US Embassy has announced the opening of the 2026 Diversity Visa Lottery Programme (DV-2026). Often called the “Green Card Lottery,” DV-2026 is the only official lottery programme for immigrant visas to the United States. A release from the US Embassy states that registration, which began at at noon Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, ends at noon Eastern Standard Time (EST) on Tuesday, November 5, 2024.

This annual U.S. government-sponsored programme makes more than 50,000 immigrant visas available worldwide to people from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States, including Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the release states.

The application process is free. Applications are accepted electronically only through https://dvprogram.state.gov/.

The Embassy has underscored that any website asking for a fee to apply is not associated with the U.S. government.

Applicants are strongly encouraged not to wait until the last week of the registration period to enter, as heavy demand in the final days that the application period is open may result in website delays. It said no entries will be accepted after noon EST on November 5, 2024.

When registering, applicants must print and save their confirmation page with their unique confirmation code to check the status of their entry.

Applicants must take care to keep this page; the Embassy cannot replace this confirmation code, the release states further.

Beginning May 3, 2025, entrants will be able to use their confirmation number to see if their entry was selected via the online Entrant Status Check website at https://dvprogram.state.gov/. Successful entrants will receive instructions at that time on how to apply for immigrant visas for themselves and their eligible family members.