DV Lottery 2027: How to Apply, Step-by-Step Guide

The DV Lottery 2027, officially the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program and widely known as the Green Card Lottery, gives people born in eligible countries a chance to win permanent residence in the United States through a random computer drawing. You do not need a job offer, a family sponsor or a large budget to enter. You need to meet two basic requirements, submit one accurate entry on the official website during the registration period, and keep your confirmation number safe.

The Green Card Lottery 2027 (DV-2027) has not followed the usual calendar. Registration did not open in October 2025 as expected, and in October 2026 a U.S. federal court ordered the State Department to run the lottery, with a registration period that must open by November 1, 2026. This DV Lottery 2027 application guide explains the current status, who can apply, what it costs, and how to submit a correct entry step by step.

In this guide you will learn:

What the US Diversity Visa Program is and what a diversity visa gives you
Where DV-2027 registration stands today and which dates matter
The eligibility rules: country of eligibility, education or work experience, and passport details
The $1 registration fee and the $330 fee for selected applicants
How to fill in and submit the entry form without mistakes
What happens after you submit, what to do if you are selected, and how to avoid scams

What Is the DV Lottery (Green Card Lottery)?

The Diversity Visa Program was created by the U.S. Immigration Act of 1990 to bring immigrants from countries that send relatively few people to the United States. The U.S. Department of State runs it every year. Entrants are chosen by a random computer drawing, and those selected can then apply for an immigrant visa.

The program offers up to 55,000 diversity visas per year for the whole world. Part of that number is set aside for another program, so the number actually available is usually a little lower. Visas are spread across world regions, and no single country can dominate the selections.

What a diversity visa gives you

Permanent residence: a diversity visa leads to a Green Card, which lets you live and work in the United States.
No sponsor needed: unlike most employment and family categories, you do not need an employer or a relative in the U.S.
Your family can come too: your spouse and unmarried children under 21 can apply for visas with you if they are listed on your entry.
A path to citizenship: permanent residents can generally apply for U.S. citizenship after five years, if they meet the naturalization requirements.

DV Lottery 2027 Status: Delayed, Then Ordered by a Court

Status as of October 16, 2026: DV-2027 registration is not open yet.

The State Department normally opens registration in early October. For DV-2027 it did not. On November 5, 2025 it announced that it was making changes to the DV-2027 entry process and would publish the registration and results dates later. In December 2025 the U.S. administration announced a pause of the program after a shooting at Brown University; reports said the suspect had entered the U.S. on a diversity visa. In August 2026 a law firm filed a lawsuit, Red Eagle Law, L.C. v. Rubio, in federal court in the Southern District of California.

On October 14, 2026, Judge Jinsook Ohta issued a preliminary injunction requiring the State Department to conduct the DV-2027 lottery. After the schedule was adjusted at the request of both sides, the deadlines are:

October 29, 2026: latest date to announce the details of the registration period
November 1, 2026: latest date to open online registration, which must stay open for 30 days
December 3, 2026: latest date to notify selected entrants

Selected applicants’ cases are then processed under the usual procedures until DV-2027 visas run out or until September 30, 2027, whichever comes first.

The court order does not mean the entry form is available now. The only place to apply is dvprogram.state.gov, and the official announcements are published on travel.state.gov. For the full timeline, see when the DV Lottery 2027 will open.

Who Can Apply? Eligibility Requirements

You must meet both of the following requirements. If you do not, your entry can be disqualified even if it is selected.

Requirement 1: Country of eligibility

You must be a native of a country that qualifies for the program. Usually this means the country where you were born. Countries that sent a large number of immigrants to the U.S. in recent years are excluded, and the list can change from one program year to the next.

If you were born in a country that is not eligible, you may still qualify in specific cases. You can claim your spouse’s country of birth if it is eligible, or in some situations a parent’s country of birth. Egypt, Sudan, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and most Arab countries are eligible under the instructions currently available. Check the final list in the official DV-2027 instructions, and see our guide to DV Lottery eligible countries.

Requirement 2: Education or work experience

You must meet one of these two options:

Education: a high school diploma or its equivalent, meaning you completed a 12-year course of elementary and secondary education comparable to a U.S. high school education.
Work experience: two years of work experience within the past five years in an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience. Under the official instructions, the occupation must be classified in the U.S. Department of Labor’s O*NET database as Job Zone 4 or 5, with a Specific Vocational Preparation (SVP) rating of 7.0 or higher.

Do not assume your job qualifies. Check it against O*NET before relying on work experience, and keep proof of whichever option you use, because the consular officer will ask for it if you are selected.

Passport details

The State Department has announced a rule requiring entrants to provide details of a valid passport, and to upload an image of the passport’s data page, as part of the entry, with limited exceptions such as stateless people. Make sure you have a valid passport before registration opens, and follow the official DV-2027 instructions once they are published.

How Much Does It Cost to Enter?

Entering is no longer completely free. A final rule published in the Federal Register on September 16, 2025 added a $1 electronic registration fee. You pay it online when you submit your entry, and it is not refunded if you are not selected.

If you are selected and go on to apply for the visa, each person applying pays the $330 diversity visa application fee. That fee has not changed. Medical exams, documents and travel cost extra and vary by country. For the full breakdown, see our guide to DV Lottery fees 2027.

How to Apply for the DV Lottery 2027: Step by Step

Most of the work can be done before registration opens. Prepare everything now, then submit carefully once the official period starts.

Step 1: Use only the official website

The only official site for the Electronic Diversity Visa (E-DV) entry is dvprogram.state.gov. Check that the address ends in .gov. Entries are accepted online only and only during the announced registration period. Paper entries and late entries are not accepted.

Step 2: Gather your information

Before you start the form, have the following ready for yourself and every family member you need to list:

Full names exactly as they appear in your passport
Dates and cities of birth
Your country of eligibility
Valid passport details
Your mailing address and the country where you live now
A phone number with country code
An email address that you check regularly
Your highest level of education
Your marital status, plus details of your spouse and children
A compliant digital photo of each person
A way to pay the $1 registration fee online

Step 3: Prepare compliant photos

Photos are one of the most common reasons entries are disqualified. Every person on the entry needs a separate, recent photo that meets the official specifications:

Square image of at least 600 x 600 pixels, in JPEG format, no larger than 240 KB
In color and taken within the last six months
Plain white or off-white background, without shadows
Facing the camera directly, with a neutral expression and both eyes open
Head size between 50% and 69% of the image height
No eyeglasses, no headphones and no filters or heavy editing
Head coverings only when worn daily for religious or medical reasons, with the face fully visible

For a full checklist, including photos of babies and children, read our DV Lottery photo requirements guide.

Step 4: Fill in the entry form

Complete every field accurately and in English:

Name: last name, first name and middle name (if any), exactly as in your passport
Gender, date of birth and city of birth
Country of birth and country of eligibility (usually the same, unless you claim your spouse’s or a parent’s country)
Passport details, as required by the current instructions
Mailing address, country of residence, phone number and email address
Highest level of education
Marital status: unmarried, married, divorced, widowed or legally separated

Step 5: List your spouse and all eligible children

This step causes many disqualifications. You must include:

Your spouse, even if you do not live together or your spouse does not plan to immigrate. The only exception is if you are legally separated under a court order.
All living, unmarried children under 21, including stepchildren and legally adopted children, even if they live with the other parent or will not immigrate with you.

You do not list:

Children who are married or are 21 or older
Children who are already U.S. citizens or permanent residents
A former spouse after divorce, or a spouse or child who has died

If you leave out an eligible spouse or child, or list someone who should not be on the entry, you can be refused a visa even if you are selected.

Step 6: Review, pay and submit

Check everything before you submit, because you cannot edit an entry afterwards:

Names match the passports exactly
Dates of birth are correct
Every eligible family member is listed
Every photo meets the requirements
Email address and phone number are correct

Pay the $1 registration fee when the system asks for it, submit the entry and wait for the confirmation page to load. Do not refresh the page or click back.

Step 7: Save your confirmation number

When the entry is submitted, the confirmation page shows a unique confirmation number. You need it, together with your last name and year of birth, to check your result on dvprogram.state.gov. Keep it in several places:

Print the confirmation page
Save it as a PDF and take a screenshot
Email a copy to yourself
Write the number down and keep it somewhere safe

Common Mistakes That Can Disqualify Your Entry

Non-compliant photos: a wrong size, a busy background, glasses or an edited image can all get an entry rejected.
Missing family members: leaving out an eligible spouse or child can make you ineligible for a visa later.
More than one entry: each person may submit only one entry per program year. A duplicate entry disqualifies you. Spouses may each submit their own entry and list each other.
Name and date errors: differences between your entry and your passport cause problems at the visa stage.
Waiting until the last days: heavy traffic and connection problems are common near the deadline, so apply early in the period.
Using a fake website: only dvprogram.state.gov accepts official entries.
Giving false information: misrepresentation can disqualify you and cause serious problems with future U.S. visa applications.
Losing your confirmation number: you need it to check your result, so save it right away.

After You Submit: Checking Your Result

Results are available only through the Entrant Status Check on dvprogram.state.gov. Under the court-ordered schedule, selected entrants must be notified by December 3, 2026. To check, enter your confirmation number, your last name and your year of birth.

The State Department does not send emails or letters to tell people they have won. If you receive a message saying you were selected and asking for money, treat it as a scam.

You will see one of two results:

Selected: the page gives you a case number and instructions for the next steps. Print it and keep it safe.
Not selected: you can enter future programs once they open. There is no limit on how many years you can apply.

What to Do If You Are Selected

Selection does not guarantee a Green Card. It means you can apply for an immigrant visa. Because there are more selectees than available visas, and DV-2027 cases can be processed only until visas run out or until September 30, 2027, it is important to act quickly once you are selected.

Read the instructions on your selection page carefully.
Complete the online immigrant visa application (Form DS-260) for yourself and each family member who will immigrate.
Start gathering your civil documents and proof of education or work experience.
Pay the $330 diversity visa application fee for each applicant when instructed.
Complete the medical examination with a physician approved by the U.S. embassy.
Attend your interview at the U.S. embassy or consulate when it is scheduled.

Also follow official news about visa issuance. On August 31, 2026 the State Department published an update about a temporary pause in issuing diversity visas. That concerns visas for selected applicants, which is a separate stage from opening registration, so check travel.state.gov for the latest position before you make plans.

Documents you will usually need

A valid passport
Birth certificates for every applicant
A marriage certificate, and divorce or death certificates if they apply to you
Police certificates, as required for the countries where you have lived
Military records, if applicable
Education certificates, or evidence of qualifying work experience
Medical examination results
Evidence that you will be financially supported in the U.S.
Additional photos, as requested

The exact list depends on your case, so follow the official instructions you receive. To prepare for the interview itself, read our DV Lottery interview tips.

How to Avoid DV Lottery Scams

Official entries are accepted only on dvprogram.state.gov during the announced period. No one has a special link or early access.
No company, agent or website can guarantee that you will be selected or that you will get a visa. Selection is random.
The State Department does not email winners. Check your result yourself with your confirmation number.
Never pay anyone who says they can speed up the result or “unlock” your selection.
Private help services, including ours, are not the U.S. government. Make sure any service you use is open about this.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is DV Lottery 2027 registration open now?

Not as of October 16, 2026. A court order requires the State Department to announce the details by October 29, 2026 and to open registration by November 1, 2026 for 30 days. Watch dvprogram.state.gov and travel.state.gov for the official announcement.

How much does it cost to apply?

The registration fee is $1, paid online when you submit your entry. If you are selected, each person who applies for a visa pays a $330 fee, plus costs such as the medical exam and travel.

Can I apply if I am already in the United States?

Yes. You can enter wherever you live, as long as you meet the eligibility requirements.

Can my spouse and I both apply?

Yes. Each spouse can submit a separate entry and list the other. If either entry is selected, the whole family can apply on that case. Each person may still submit only one entry.

Does being selected guarantee a Green Card?

No. You still have to show that you are eligible, pass the interview and security checks, and finish the process before visas run out or the program year ends.

Do I need a passport to enter?

The new rules require details of a valid passport, with limited exceptions. Make sure your passport is valid, and check the official DV-2027 instructions once they are published.

Can I apply if I have a criminal record?

You can submit an entry, but some criminal convictions can make you ineligible for a visa at the interview stage. If this applies to you, consider getting legal advice before you go ahead with a visa application.

Conclusion

The DV Lottery 2027 is still a real opportunity, but the timeline is unusual. The court order requires registration to open by November 1, 2026, so use the time now to check your eligibility, prepare a valid passport and compliant photos, and collect your family details. Once registration opens, submit one accurate entry on dvprogram.state.gov, pay the $1 fee and keep your confirmation number safe.

Apply only on the official .gov website, during the official period.
Submit one entry per person, and list every eligible family member.
Photos are a common reason for disqualification, so get them right.
Save your confirmation number in several places.
Selection is not a visa. Act quickly and follow official updates if you are chosen.

Need Help with Your Entry?

If you want someone to check your details before you submit, our team can help. We review your eligibility and family information, check that your photos meet the requirements, help you complete the form accurately, and send you your confirmation number as a PDF after submission.

Get help with your DV Lottery application

Disclaimer: DVLotteryUS is a private service that helps you prepare your entry. It is not a U.S. government agency. Official registration takes place only on the U.S. Department of State website, and no one can guarantee selection or the issuance of a visa.

How to Apply for the DV Lottery 2027 — Step-by-Step Guide