Status as of July 15, 2026. The Diversity Visa program is suspended: DV visa issuance was halted on December 23, 2025, the DV-2027 registration period has not opened, and no resumption date has been announced.
Fraud surrounding the Diversity Visa (DV) lottery typically works by substituting an unofficial channel for the official registration portal and by making false promises to improve an applicant's odds of selection. Official entry and status checks are available only through the government's E-DV portal, links to which are published on travel.state.gov (currently dvlottery.state.gov and dvprogram.state.gov); official resources always carry a .gov domain, and no method of improving one's odds of selection exists. The U.S. Department of State describes the selection process as entirely random and computer-conducted, and describes the program as a drawing for up to 55,000 immigrant visas per year.
The DV program involves official fees that are important to distinguish from what fraudsters demand. A broader overview of how immigration fraud schemes generally operate is available in the immigration scams section.
Given the current pause: the DV-2027 registration period has not opened, so any website that is "accepting DV-2027 applications now" or "guaranteeing a spot before registration opens" is a scam. Official opening dates will appear only on travel.state.gov.
How the Program Works
According to the FTC, the lottery registration window opens once a year for approximately one month in the fall, and entries can be submitted only online at dvlottery.state.gov. An applicant completes a form on the State Department's website, answers questions about themselves, their spouse, and any children under 21, and uploads digital passport-style photographs. After submitting through the official site, the applicant receives confirmation from the State Department along with a confirmation number needed to check their status.
The FTC notes that an entry may be submitted only once per year — duplicate entries are disqualified — though a spouse who independently qualifies may submit a separate entry. According to the FTC, status can be checked only online at dvlottery.state.gov. Initial selection results are not communicated by email; results are verified solely through the Entrant Status Check on the official site. Official correspondence at later stages of processing does not include requests for payment by money transfer.
Official DV Program Fees
The U.S. Department of State published a final rule (90 FR 44524) that took effect on September 16, 2025, and applies beginning with the DV-2027 cycle, establishing a fee of $1.00 per electronic entry (registration) in the DV program. This $1.00 registration fee applies starting with program year DV-2027 and is paid electronically at the time of submission on the official E-DV site during the designated registration period. Previously, submission was free of charge.
Separate from the registration fee, a DV program visa fee exists. At the consular processing stage, selected applicants pay $330.00 per applicant (22 CFR 22.1); a separate payment procedure applies for adjustment of status inside the United States. The final rule emphasizes that the $1.00 registration fee is distinct from the visa fee paid later at the visa stage.
Note: some official pages (for example, the "Submit an Entry" page on travel.state.gov) and FTC materials still carry the earlier language describing registration as free. However, final rule 90 FR 44524 (September 16, 2025) established the $1.00 fee per electronic entry beginning with DV-2027 — the text of the rule reflects the current requirement.
What Are Common Green Card Lottery Scams?
According to the FTC, fraudsters offer to "help someone win" the lottery or to improve their odds of winning, even though no such improvement is possible. Some inform a person that they have "won" even if that person never submitted an entry, and then request payment for "processing." The FTC notes that such individuals take the money while the person receives nothing in return, and that scammers can even cost someone a legitimate opportunity to obtain a green card.
Does the U.S. Government Charge a Fee to Enter the DV Lottery?
Under the State Department's final rule (90 FR 44524), which took effect on September 16, 2025, and applies beginning with the DV-2027 cycle, a fee of $1.00 per electronic entry is charged and paid on the official E-DV site at the time of submission. Previously, submission was free, and FTC materials describe lottery participation as free of charge. Separately, selected applicants at the immigration stage pay a visa fee of $330.00 per person (22 CFR 22.1). According to the FTC, the U.S. government never asks anyone to send money in advance by check, money order, or wire transfer.
How Can I Tell the Official DV Lottery Site from a Fake One?
Official entry is available only through the government's E-DV portal, links to which are published on travel.state.gov (currently dvlottery.state.gov); no other submission venue exists. The State Department's final rule also notes that entries may be submitted only through the official government E-DV site, that selection is random, and that no third party can improve an applicant's odds. According to the FTC, status checks are available only at dvlottery.state.gov.
Authorities have moved to shut down such schemes: the Federal Trade Commission, working alongside U.S. prosecutors, has stopped operators who used websites to impersonate a government agency and charged fees for what was a free lottery. The clearest marker of a legitimate resource is a .gov domain name — entry submission and status checks are available only on the official government site dvlottery.state.gov.
What Should I Do If I've Been Scammed?
The FTC recommends reporting suspected fraud to the Federal Trade Commission by calling 1-877-382-4357 to file a complaint.