Applicants from foreign countries have only a few hours to apply for the United States Diversity Visa (DV).
This comes after November 7 is the final date for registrations made for this program for the fiscal year (FY) 2026, VisaGuide.World reports.
Through a statement, the State Department emphasized that it will only accept registrations until noon EST on November 7, 2024.
The US Diversity Visa Program offers a pathway to permanent residency to applicants from low-density rates territories.
Each year, the US State Department makes a total of 55,000 immigrant visas available through this program, while applicants are permitted to add spouses and children to their applications.
However, nationals from the following countries are ineligible to apply for the Diversity Visa Program of the US for the fiscal year 2026: Brazil, Bangladesh, Canada, China (including mainland and Hong Kong SAR), Cuba, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Haiti, El Salvador, Honduras, Jamaica, India, Mexico, Pakistan, Nigeria, Philippines, Venezuela, South Korea, and Vietnam.
From May 3, 2025, registrants must use their confirmation number to check their lottery status through the State Department’s lottery entrant status page for results.
120,700 Persons Benefited From US Diversity Visa Program in 2023
Each year, the United States receives a large number of applications for the Diversity Visa Program.
In 2023, a total of 120,700 immigrants benefited from the Diversity Visa Program of the United States, accounting for a notable increase compared to 2022’s statistics.
In 2022, 48,400 people obtained a green card through the DV Program. The figures remained lower in 2021 and 2021, prompted by the Coronavirus pandemic, 34,000 and 29,600, respectively.
These individuals who are coming in on a Diversity Visa lottery still need to meet the naturalization requirements. They’re coming in on green cards as legal permanent residents. They still need to meet the requirements of being here on a green card, moral character, and all of that.
Long Waiting Times to Obtain a Green Card
A previous study from the Cato Institute said that only three per cent of applicants are likely to obtain a green card in the US in 2024.
The survey found that there is a backlog of nearly 37.7 applications, causing significant delays for those waiting to obtain such a residence card.
Legal immigration caps plus uncapped categories permit only about 1.1 million green cards for the fiscal year 2024, meaning that 97 percent of green card applicants will not receive one this year.
According to the Cato Institute report, the total caps will reach 1.1 million for the fiscal year 2024, which, according to the Institute, means that 97 percent of green card applicants will not receive a green card this year.