How to Apply for the DV Lottery, Step by Step

You've heard about the "green card lottery" and want to try, but you don't want to mess it up or fall for a fake website. Good news: entering is simple once you know the steps. It just takes careful preparation.

This guide shows you how to apply for the DV lottery, from checking your country to checking your result. It's based on official rules as of September 2026. Always read the State Department's instructions for your program year, because details can change.

Before you start: is the DV lottery open?

The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (the DV lottery) accepts entries only during a set entry period. In past years it opened in the fall. The DV-2026 period, for example, closed in November 2024, and results opened on May 4, 2025.

This cycle is different. The State Department deferred the opening of the DV-2027 entry period while it changed the entry process, including a new passport rule. As of September 2026, watch travel.state.gov and dvprogram.state.gov for the official dates.

Step 1: Check if you're eligible for the DV lottery

There are two tests, and you must pass both.

The first is your country. You must be a native of a country on that year's eligible list, which changes each year. Usually this is your country of birth. You may instead claim your spouse's country of birth, or a parent's if neither parent was born or legally living in your birth country when you were born.

The second is education or work. You need a high school education, meaning a formal 12-year course of elementary and secondary school, or two years of work in the past five years in a job that needs at least two years of training. A GED or correspondence course doesn't count.

Step 2: Gather what you need

Getting documents ready early means you won't rush when the form opens. Here's a checklist.

How to apply for the DV lottery, step by step

Once the entry period opens, give yourself a quiet hour with a stable internet connection. Then follow these steps.

1. Go to dvprogram.state.gov. Type the address yourself rather than clicking a link in a message.
2. Start a new entry and fill in your personal details exactly as they appear on your passport.
3. Enter your country of eligibility. Only choose your spouse's or parent's country if you qualify under the rules above.
4. Add your passport number and upload the scan.
5. Upload your photo and a photo for each family member you list.
6. Enter your education level, marital status and children. Double-check each one.
7. Pay the $1 registration fee as part of the official entry process.
8. Review and submit once. One entry per person is the rule, and extra entries disqualify you.
9. Save your confirmation number. Print or screenshot the confirmation page and store copies in two places.

Say you're a bank clerk in Accra, married, with a four-year-old daughter. You list your wife and daughter with a photo each, and you upload your passport scan. Your wife is also eligible, so she submits her own entry listing you and your daughter. That's allowed, and it gives your family two chances instead of one.

How to check your DV lottery results

Results aren't sent to you. You check them yourself on dvprogram.state.gov by clicking Entrant Status Check and entering your confirmation number and personal details. For DV-2026, that became available on May 4, 2025. Dates for the next program year haven't been announced as of September 2026.

Entrant Status Check is the only official source of your result and next steps. The US government has never emailed people to say they were selected, and it won't ask you to send money by mail or money transfer service.

If you're selected, move fast. Selection doesn't guarantee a visa, and all cases must finish by September 30 of the program year. Most selectees complete Form DS-260 (the online immigrant visa application) and attend an interview abroad. A small number already living in the US legally may apply through USCIS instead.

What the DV lottery costs, from entry to visa

Entering costs almost nothing, but a successful case doesn't. Here are official fees as of September 2026. Confirm them on the State Department and USCIS pages before paying.

On top of that, plan for the medical exam, police certificates, translations and travel to your interview. The move is the biggest cost: flights, a rental deposit and health insurance. Our guides to relocation costs and moving to the USA: housing and insurance help you budget.

Common mistakes when entering

• Submitting twice. All your entries get thrown out.
• Reusing an old photo or one that breaks the size, background or glasses rules.
• Leaving off a spouse or child who must be listed.
• Typing details that don't match your passport.
• Losing your confirmation number or letting an agent keep it.
• Believing a "you've won" email. Check Entrant Status Check yourself.

For a deeper look, read our full list of DV lottery mistakes.

What to do next

If your passport is missing or expired, apply for one today. Then take new photos, write out your family list and bookmark travel.state.gov so you see the entry period when it's announced.

The lottery is a long shot for everyone. If you have a degree and strong experience, compare it with a skills-based route in our guide to the DV lottery vs EB-2 visa.