How to Apply for the DV-2027 Green Card Lottery
The Diversity Visa (DVDiversity Visa Program — The annual "green card lottery" for people from countries with low US immigration rates.Click for official info ↗) lottery gives out up to 55,000 green cards each year. It is for people from countries with low rates of immigration to the US. Entry costs $1. It takes only 30 minutes. For DV-2027, registration has not opened: the court-ordered 1 November 2026 opening was stayed by the Ninth Circuit on 29 October 2026, so there is currently no registration date. Check dvprogram.state.gov for any announcement.
At a glance
- Cost:
- $1 registration fee
- Total time:
- 30 min entry
- Steps:
- 7 steps
- Where to apply:
- travel.state.gov
Last reviewed November 2026 against official sources. Re-checked every 6 months · next review due May 2027.
The Steps
Follow these in order
Each card shows the phase, expected time, and any cost. Data checked against official US sources(November 2026).
0 of 7 steps
- Before You Go 15 min
Check country eligibility
You must be born in a country with low US immigration. Low means under 50,000 immigrants in 5 years. The list of countries that cannot take part changes each cycle. For DV-2026 the list included India, China, Mexico, Canada, Brazil, Nigeria, Pakistan and the Philippines, among others. Check the instructions for the current cycle. You may still qualify through the country where your spouse or parent was born.
Click to mark as done
- Before You Go 15 min
Verify education/work requirement
You need a US high school diploma or one that is equal to it. Or you need 2 years of work experience. The work must be in a job that needs 2+ years of training. You must have done that work in the last 5 years.
Click to mark as done
- Before You Go 30 min
Get a photo that follows the rules
The photo must be 600×600 px. You must have taken it within the last 6 months. Use a plain, light background. Do not wear glasses. Put your face in the center. This is the #1 reason entries are turned down.
Click to mark as done
- Fill / Prepare 30 min
Submit the E-DV entry form
The ONLY official site is dvprogram.state.gov. You can enter only during the sign-up period. The official DV Instructions for that cycle announce the period. Past cycles ran from early October to early November, but that pattern does not apply to DV-2027. A US federal court ordered the State Department to announce the DV-2027 registration period by 29 October 2026 and to open registration by 1 November 2026 for 30 days, with selectees notified by 3 December 2026. On 29 October 2026 the Ninth Circuit stayed that order while the government appeal proceeds (Red Eagle Law v. Rubio, No. 26-6943), so the 1 November opening no longer applies and there is currently no registration date. On 1 November 2026 a second lawsuit, Ivannikov v. Rubio, was filed in a California federal court asking for DV-2027 and DV-2028 registration; no order has been issued and registration remains closed. The court said it did not endorse the Department's failure to open registration. Check dvprogram.state.gov for any announcement before you enter. Check the instructions page before you enter. Fill in your details. Fill in details for your spouse and ALL your children. Send the form. Then PRINT your confirmation number. It is the only way to check your results.
Click to mark as done
- Wait 5 min
Check results (DV-2027: no results date while the opening is stayed)
For DV-2027, there is no results date while the Ninth Circuit stay of 29 October 2026 is in force. The 3 December 2026 notification deadline was part of the stayed court order. Once registration has actually opened and you have entered, check the Entrant Status Check page using your confirmation number. The State Department never emails winners. Any email saying you won is a scam.
Click to mark as done
- Follow Up 2–6 months
If selected: complete DS-260
Being picked does not guarantee you a visa. Send in the DS-260 immigrant visa application. Get your civil documents together. These include birth records, police records, and medical exams. Pay the fees. Cases are processed in case number order. They are processed until the visas run out.
Click to mark as done
- Receive varies
Attend the interview and enter the US
You may be approved at your interview at the consulate. Or you may be approved through adjustment of status in the US. Then you get an immigrant visa. You must enter the US within 6 months. This is how you activate your green cardPermanent Resident Card — The ID card proving lawful permanent resident status — live and work in the US permanently.Click for official info ↗.
Click to mark as done
Be Careful
Don't make these mistakes
Entering on a scam site. The only official site is dvprogram.state.gov. Any website that charges more than the $1 registration fee to enter is a middleman or a scam. The State Department never emails winners, so any email saying you won is a scam.
Submitting more than one entry. You can enter each year you are eligible, but only one entry per person per year. Duplicate entries disqualify you entirely.
Using a photo that breaks the rules. The photo must be 600 by 600 px. You must have taken it within the last 6 months. Use a plain, light background. Do not wear glasses. Put your face in the center. This is the number one reason entries are turned down.
Losing your confirmation number. After you send the form, print your confirmation number. It is the only way to check your results.
Thinking being picked means you get a visa. Being picked does not guarantee you a visa. Cases are processed in case number order until the visas run out. On 31 August 2026 the State Department paused all diversity visa issuance, so no diversity visas are being issued while that pause is in place. DV-2027 visas must be issued by 30 September 2027 or the visa numbers expire.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there really no fee to enter?
Not anymore. From DV-2027, entry costs a $1 non-refundable registration fee, paid at dvprogram.state.gov when you submit. Any website that charges more than $1 to enter is a middleman or a scam. You pay the larger visa fees only AFTER you win, when you go ahead with the visa.
Can I enter every year?
Yes, you can enter each year you are eligible. Only one entry per person per year, though. Duplicate entries disqualify you entirely.
What are my odds of winning?
The draw is random. Being picked is not the same as getting a visa. The State Department picks more people than there are visas. It processes cases in case number order. It stops when the visas run out. People with low case numbers have the best chance to get a visa in the end.
If I win DV-2027, will I actually get a visa?
Not necessarily. Winning only picks you for the next stage. On 31 August 2026 the State Department paused all diversity visa issuance, so no diversity visas are being issued while that pause is in place. You can still send in a visa application and attend an interview, but no visa is issued. There are no exceptions to the pause. And the clock is short: DV-2027 visas must be issued by 30 September 2027, or the visa numbers expire. Check the State Department guidance page before you rely on any date here.
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