Update October 2023: The 2025 Diversity Visa Lottery will be open for registration from October 4 to November 7, 2023.
Update May 2023: Diversity Visa 2024 entrants may enter their confirmation information here starting at noon (EDT) on May 6, 2023.
The DV lottery program will provide up to 55,000 green card numbers obtainable through random selection in the fiscal year 2025. The lottery results for the fiscal year 2024 were announced in May 2023. Foreign nationals who win the lottery can apply for green cards beginning October 4, 2023.
How to Enter the US Green Card Lottery
For many, the Green Card Lottery represents the chance for a new life in a new country. The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, commonly known as the Green Card Lottery, makes available up to 50,000 immigrant visas each year. The lottery randomly selects eligible applicants from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States.
As the U.S. Department of State explains, the Diversity Visas “are distributed among six geographic regions and no single country may receive more than seven percent of the available DVs in any one year.” This even distribution allows for a more equal opportunity for potential immigrants from these regions. If you are considering immigrating to the United States and you are from an eligible country, this could be a valuable opportunity for you. So when is the next green card lottery?
The Next US Green Card Lottery
The State Department started accepting online registrations for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Diversity Visa (DV) lottery. Foreign nationals who want to enter the lottery must do so online by Tuesday, November 8, 2023 at noon EST.
The DV lottery program will provide up to 55,000 green card numbers obtainable through random selection in the fiscal year 2025. The lottery results for the fiscal year 2025 will be announced in May 2023. Foreign nationals who win the lottery can apply for green cards beginning October 4, 2023.
It bears mentioning that the only way to find out if you have won the Green Card Lottery is through the official Electronic Diversity Visa website. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has reported problems with fraud, whereby “scammers pose as the U.S. government in an attempt to get money from people hoping to get a visa.” The Department of State does not notify successful applicants by email or letter mail. A search regarding the dates for the upcoming lottery can also result in a slew of websites offering confusing and often misleading information about the lottery. We rely on official government information and hope that our readers will do the same.
When Was the Last Green Card Lottery?
The last green card lottery took place in October, 2022 throughout early November, 2022.
More About the Green Card Lottery
While the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program is a lottery, the process doesn’t end there. After applying for the lottery online at www.dvlottery.state.gov, those who are selected must proceed with applying for an immigrant visa. The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs website lays out the stages for applicants: first, entrants must register for the lottery. Next, they must wait to find out their status. Upon winning the Green Card Lottery, an applicant must confirm their qualifications.
Only if a lottery winner is truly eligible will their win count. Next, they must submit an immigrant visa and alien registration application. If/when a visa number becomes available for the applicant, they will proceed to the interview stage. After the interview, they will find out if their application has been accepted or rejected.
As this process makes clear, simply winning the lottery is not enough. To make the most of the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, an applicant must still put forward a complete, persuasive application. All supporting documents must be supplied to the relevant authorities at the appropriate times, all fees must be paid, and a medical exam must be completed by an authorized physician.
Furthermore, as U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services explains, the process is different for those who win the lottery while living in the U.S. with “nonimmigrant or other legal status.” Such individuals must apply instead for an adjustment of status. To do so, they must establish that they “have been selected for a diversity visa by DOS’s lottery; have an immigrant visa immediately available at the time of filing an adjustment application (Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status); and be admissible to the United States.”
Every additional step can add to the challenges of the application process. Every immigration situation is unique and comes with its own set of potential complications.
If you are uncertain as to how to proceed with your immigration application, an immigration legal professional can help you ensure that your application is prepared accurately.
For exact dates for this year’s lottery, keep checking our blog for updates.
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President & CEO
Michael Niren
Mr. Niren is CEO of VisaPlace LLC and the President and Managing Partner of VisaPlace Legal Canada, an immigration law firm based in Toronto, and VisaPlace Legal US a law firm registered in The District of Columbia, USA. Mr. Niren is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Canadian Bar Association’s Citizenship and Immigration Section, American Lawyers Association, and an Associate Member of the American Bar Association.
