The DV-2027 Green Card Lottery is the drawing of immigrant visas under the Diversity Visa Program (Diversity Immigrant Visa Program) for U.S. fiscal year 2027. Below: what the lottery is, how many visas are drawn, which countries take part, when registration opens and results are published, what happens after you are selected, and the current state of the program.
In brief
DV-2027 draws up to 55,000 U.S. immigrant visas among nationals of countries with low rates of immigration; selection is random, and entries are filed only at dvprogram.state.gov.
New this cycle: a $1 fee and a mandatory passport scan at entry (effective April 10, 2026).
Status as of September 2026: registration has still not opened, and no dates have been announced since the State Department's notice of November 5, 2025 — official dates only at travel.state.gov.
Current status as of September 12, 2026. DV-2027 registration has not opened. The State Department's notice of November 5, 2025 said the registration start date and the results-access date would be announced "as soon as practicable"; as of this date no dates have been published. The visa application period for those eventually selected for DV-2027 remains October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027 — that window was never moved. Separately, the DV-2026 cycle ends on September 30, 2026: unused visa numbers expire by law on that date, and the August court order that restarted DV-2026 processing does not extend it. Check status only on official resources: travel.state.gov and dvprogram.state.gov. Details are in the "Current status of DV-2027" section.
Contents
What a green card and the DV lottery are
A green card is a U.S. lawful permanent resident card that grants the right to live and work in the country permanently, with no time limit.
The green card lottery is the informal name for the Diversity Visa (DV) program. Each year it allocates permanent-resident visas to nationals of countries with historically low immigration to the United States. Unlike the family- and employment-based categories, which require a sponsor (a relative or an employer), the DV distributes visas by random computer selection among all correctly submitted entries.
Key features:
Entry has historically been free; starting with the DV-2027 cycle, a nominal $1 fee applies at entry (see below).
Entries are accepted electronically only, on the official website. Paper entries are not accepted.
Winning the lottery is the right to apply for a visa, not the automatic issuance of a green card.
A short history
The program was created by the Immigration Act of 1990. Its aim was to "diversify" the immigrant flow by giving a chance to people from countries underrepresented in the family- and employment-based categories. The first drawings under the modern format took place in the mid-1990s. The lottery has been held annually ever since and remains a program established by statute (by Congress) — it can be abolished only through legislation.
How many green cards are drawn each year
By law, up to 55,000 visas are available under the DV each year. In some years a portion may be reserved for other programs (under NACARA), which at times brought the effective number closer to 50,000.
How the visas are distributed:
The world is divided into six geographic regions. More visas go to regions with lower immigration to the United States.
A rule of no more than 7% of all DV visas per country per year applies, so that no single country takes a disproportionate share.
The State Department selects more applicants than there are visas (usually around 100,000+), because some selectees do not complete the process. This is done to use up all available visas.
That is why selection is only the first step: obtaining a visa also depends on whether your rank number is reached for processing during the fiscal year.
Which countries take part in DV-2027 and how the list rotates
The list of countries is revised every year. The logic is simple:
The State Department looks at how many immigrants a country sent to the United States over the previous 5 years.
If a country sent 50,000 or more immigrants in that period, it is considered "well represented" and is excluded from the current drawing.
All other countries take part.
Because of this, the lists change: a country may "drop out" after high immigration and, conversely, return once its numbers fall below the threshold.
An important nuance — eligibility is determined by country of birth, not current citizenship or country of residence. If you were born in a country that is not participating this year, but your spouse was born in an eligible country, you may claim eligibility through your spouse's country of birth (alternate chargeability). There is also a rule based on a parent's country of birth.
(DV-2026 list, for reference only — not the DV-2027 list.) In recent drawings (using the official DV-2026 instructions as a reference), the countries not participating were generally: Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (mainland and Hong Kong), Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea (South Korea), the United Kingdom (mainland — status has varied by year), Venezuela, and Vietnam. Hong Kong was excluded, while Macau and Taiwan took part.
The exact official country list for DV-2027 is published together with the drawing instructions. Until DV-2027 registration opens, the official list has not been published — rely on the instructions at travel.state.gov once they are released.
Eligibility requirements
For an entry to be valid, you need:
Country of birth — among those participating this year (or use alternate chargeability).
Education or work experience — at least one of the two: a completed secondary education (the equivalent of 12 years of schooling), or 2 years of work experience within the last 5 years in an occupation requiring at least 2 years of training or experience. Whether an occupation qualifies is checked against the O*NET Online database (onetonline.org) — the DV instructions specify which Job Zone and SVP levels qualify.
A photo that meets the standard — recent (taken within 6 months), white background, no glasses or headwear (except religious), neutral expression, 600×600 pixels. Reusing last year's photo or failing the requirements means disqualification.
One entry per person. Multiple entries by the same person mean disqualification. Spouses may each submit their own entry.
The entry must list your spouse and all unmarried children under 21, even if they do not plan to immigrate. Omitting them is grounds for refusal.
New for DV-2027. Under the final rule effective April 10, 2026, at entry you must:
upload a scan of the passport biographic page (a valid passport, as an image file such as JPEG — not a PDF) — with limited exceptions for stateless persons and nationals of certain countries who lack passport access;
pay a $1 electronic fee at entry (the first such fee in the program's history).
When DV-2027 registration takes place: the calendar
The program's name reflects the U.S. fiscal year in which the visas are issued, not the year of entry. Fiscal year 2027 runs from October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027.
The standard (typical) calendar of any DV cycle looks like this:
Stage | Usual timing for the DV-2027 cycle |
|---|---|
Registration (entry) | October–November (normally fall 2025) — did not happen; no dates announced |
Results (Entrant Status Check) | usually in May of the following year (normally May 2026) — no date announced |
Visa applications and interviews for selectees | October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 (unchanged) |
Deadline to issue all DV-2027 visas | September 30, 2027 (no extensions) |
Note: the visa-issuance window for selectees (October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027) is fixed by law and does not move, even if registration is delayed. The later registration opens, the tighter the schedule becomes for future selectees — and the DV-2026 cycle is the live illustration of what that costs.
Current status of DV-2027
The DV-2027 cycle is following an atypical course. What is known as of September 12, 2026:
Registration delay. On November 5, 2025 the State Department announced changes to the entry process and the postponement of the DV-2027 start beyond the usual October. The notice said the registration start date and the results-access date would be announced "as soon as practicable." Ten months later, neither has been published.
Program suspension. On December 18–19, 2025 the administration suspended the Diversity Visa Program: USCIS placed adjustment-of-status applications from DV entrants on hold, and the State Department suspended issuance of diversity visas as of December 23, 2025. The stated reason was a review of vetting procedures after a high-profile incident involving a person who had previously entered on a DV.
The suspension was lifted in court. On August 28, 2026 a federal judge in the Northern District of California temporarily set aside all three measures that had halted the program, and the State Department confirmed on August 31 that the December suspension of DV visa issuance no longer applies. Normal processing resumed for DV-2026 — the details of that order are in a separate piece on the DV-2026 freeze being lifted.
The September 30, 2026 deadline stands. The court order restored the process, not the outcome. DV-2026 visa numbers expire by law on September 30, 2026, and unused numbers do not carry over — for principal applicants or for accompanying spouses and children.
The litigation continues. The August order is preliminary. The parties were directed to file a joint status report by September 18, 2026, and USCIS stated it disagrees with the order while complying with it. A separate case challenging the suspension of immigrant visas for nationals of 75 countries is set for hearing on September 21, 2026.
The practical takeaway: no DV-2027 registration dates have been announced, and there is still no official confirmation of when — or in what form — the drawing will take place. The only reliable source of information is the news section and program page at travel.state.gov. Any website or person promising that "DV-2027 registration is already open" or a "guaranteed win" is a scam.
Where to register and check results
Filing an entry and checking results: dvprogram.state.gov — the only official site for the electronic entry (Form E-DV, officially DS-5501) and for status checks (Entrant Status Check). The entry window is active only on the announced dates; the deadline is stated in U.S. Eastern Time.
Instructions, country list, program news: travel.state.gov (the Diversity Visa Program section and the visa news section).
Visa Bulletin (rank numbers and whether they are "current"): published monthly at travel.state.gov.
The official domain is .gov. Sites on .com or .org and any "expediters" or "guaranteed" intermediaries have nothing to do with the program: selection is entirely random and cannot be influenced. The State Department does not notify winners by email, mail, or phone.
How to check green card lottery results
The only way to learn your result is the Entrant Status Check (ESC) at dvprogram.state.gov. You need your confirmation number (16 characters), issued at entry, plus your last name and date of birth.
Results usually open in May and remain available until September 30 of the relevant fiscal year.
The confirmation number must be saved — without it you cannot check your status, and recovery is limited.
"Selected" means the right to apply for a visa, but does not guarantee you will receive one: it all depends on your rank number and visa availability in your region.
What to do after you win: step by step
If your ESC status is "selected," the sequence is:
Get your case number and instructions in the Entrant Status Check.
Complete Form DS-260 (Online Immigrant Visa Application) in the CEAC system — for yourself and each family member on the case. The data must match the E-DV entry: discrepancies are grounds for refusal. All DV cases are processed by the Kentucky Consular Center (KCC), which requests missing information and schedules the interview queue.
Gather documents: birth certificates, police certificates from countries of residence, and, where applicable, court and military records and education or experience documents.
Pay the DV fee — $330 per applicant (separate from the $1 entry fee), usually before the interview.
Complete the medical exam with an authorized panel physician in your country.
Track the Visa Bulletin. Processing goes by rank number: the interview is scheduled when your number becomes "current."
Interview: for those outside the U.S., at the consulate or embassy in their place of residence. For those lawfully present in the U.S., adjustment of status via Form I-485 is possible.
Visa or green card: if approved, an immigrant visa is placed in the passport; the green card is issued after entry into the U.S.
The consular interview: what to keep in mind
The interview checks identity, documents, and eligibility (education or experience, absence of grounds of inadmissibility).
Bring originals and translations of documents, passports for all family members, medical-exam results, and proof of fee payment.
All family members included on the case usually interview together.
The outcome can be: approval, a request for additional documents (administrative processing), or refusal.
Common applicant mistakes
These most often cause an entry to be rejected or a chance to be lost:
Two or more entries for one person — automatic disqualification. Spouses may each submit one entry, but not multiple for one person.
A non-compliant photo — old, edited, or with the wrong background or size. One of the most common reasons for refusal.
Wrong country of eligibility — listing the country of residence instead of the country of birth; or failing to use eligibility through a spouse's or parent's country of birth when applicable.
Discrepancies between the E-DV and DS-260 — data on the post-selection form must match the original entry.
A lost confirmation number — without it you cannot check the result, and the State Department does not recover it.
Paying a "guaranteed" intermediary — random selection cannot be influenced; this is either wasted money or fraud with your data.
The deadline and why it is hard
All visas for a given DV cycle must be issued by midnight on September 30 of the relevant fiscal year (for DV-2027, September 30, 2027). After that date:
unused visa numbers expire;
there are no extensions or carryovers;
if a case number is not reached in time or the process is not completed, the right to the visa is lost.
The DV-2026 cycle shows how unforgiving that rule is in practice. Processing was frozen for most of the fiscal year and restarted only on August 28, 2026 — roughly a month before the cutoff. A court can order agencies back to normal work; it cannot add days to the fiscal year. That is why, in normal years, selectees are advised to file the DS-260 and gather documents as early as possible: the earlier your number is processed, the more time you have in reserve.
DV-2028: the next opportunity
Registration for each following cycle usually opens in the fall. If you are looking ahead, the next regular cycle after DV-2027 is DV-2028 (visas in fiscal year 2028, October 1, 2027 – September 30, 2028). No DV-2028 registration dates or eligibility instructions have been published either. Exact dates, the country list, and requirements appear in the instructions at travel.state.gov before registration opens. Given the new rules (passport at entry, electronic fee), it makes sense to have a valid passport and a compliant photo ready in advance.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Is DV-2027 registration open now? No. As of September 12, 2026 no registration dates have been announced, and none have been published since the State Department's notice of November 5, 2025. Current status is only at travel.state.gov.
Was the DV program suspension lifted? Yes, for DV-2026. A federal court set the suspension aside on August 28, 2026, and the State Department confirmed on August 31 that it no longer applies. That order restored normal processing; it did not move the September 30, 2026 deadline for DV-2026 numbers, and it says nothing about DV-2027 registration dates.
How many visas are drawn? Up to 55,000 per year; in some years the effective number is closer to 50,000. No more than 7% per country.
How much does entry cost? Entry was historically free, but for DV-2027 a $1 electronic fee applies at registration. If you are selected, the DV visa fee is $330 per applicant.
How is the country of eligibility determined? By country of birth. If it is not participating, you may use the country of birth of a spouse or parent (alternate chargeability).
How are winners notified? Only through the Entrant Status Check at dvprogram.state.gov, using the confirmation number. There are no notifications by email, mail, or phone.
Does winning guarantee a green card? No. Selection gives the right to apply for a visa; issuance depends on the rank number, visa availability, and passing the checks within the fiscal year.
Can an intermediary improve my chances? No. Selection is random and cannot be influenced. Paid "guarantees" are a sign of fraud.
Is a passport required to enter? For DV-2027, yes: you must upload a scan of the passport data page (with limited exceptions).
Official sources
Resource | Purpose |
|---|---|
The State Department notice of November 5, 2025 — the last official word on DV-2027 dates | |
Overview of the Diversity Visa Program | |
Instructions and country list for a given year | |
Filing an entry (E-DV) and checking results (Entrant Status Check) | |
Form DS-260 after selection | |
News and updates on DV-2027 | |
Rank numbers and whether they are "current" |
This material is informational, current as of September 12, 2026, and is not legal advice. The DV program is in flux — registration dates are unannounced and the related litigation is ongoing. Verify with official U.S. Department of State sources before acting.