US Visa Lottery 2027: When it opens, requirements, and how to register
The 2027 US Visa Lottery will have changes. When does registration open, what are the requirements, what is the cost, and what is known about the Green Card?
The United States is preparing a new edition of the Diversity Visa Lottery, the program that allows people from certain countries to compete for the chance to obtain permanent residency, or a Green Card . However, the DV-2027 lottery comes with changes and an unusual delay in the schedule.
Unlike previous years, the State Department has not yet officially announced when registration for the 2027 Visa Lottery will begin. U.S. authorities explained that they are implementing modifications to the process and will communicate both the registration opening date and when the results will be available.
Therefore, those who wish to participate should pay special attention to official announcements and avoid pages that claim registration is already open or that promise to increase the chances of being selected.
When does the 2027 Visa Lottery open?
At the moment, there is no official opening date for DV-2027 registration.
The State Department announced that it will announce the start date for the registration period "as soon as possible." It will also communicate later when the results will be available through the Entrant Status Check system.
This is a different situation than usual. For example, registration for the DV-2026 took place between October 2 and November 7, 2024. The United States received more than 20.8 million qualified registrations during that period.
The State Department continues to indicate that the DV-2027 dates will be widely publicized and recommends periodically checking the official Diversity Visa Program website.
However, there is one date that has already been set: those who are ultimately selected for the DV-2027 will be able to process their visas within the corresponding fiscal year, between October 1, 2026 and September 30, 2027.
What is the United States Visa Lottery?
Its official name is the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV). It was established by Congress as part of the Immigration Act of 1990 and seeks to expand immigration opportunities for people born in countries that have historically had relatively low levels of immigration to the United States .
The program legally allows for up to 55,000 diversity visas annually, although the actual number may be lower due to other provisions of U.S. immigration law. For DV-2026, for example, the effective limit was reduced to approximately 52,000 visas.
Participants are randomly selected from applications that meet the program's requirements, distributed by geographic regions.
But being selected does not automatically mean obtaining a Green Card. Selection only allows candidates to move forward in the immigrant visa application process, and each applicant must subsequently demonstrate that they meet all the requirements established by the United States.
Requirements to participate in the Visa Lottery
One of the main requirements is related to the participant's country of birth. Not all nationalities can apply every year.
The list may change from one application period to another depending on recent immigration levels to the United States. Therefore, for DV-2027, it is advisable to wait for the official guidelines to be published before assuming that a country included—or excluded—in previous applications will maintain the same status.
In addition, the lead applicant must meet one of these two requirements, not both:
Having completed a formal secondary education equivalent to 12 years of primary and secondary education.
Have at least two years of work experience, during the last five years, in an occupation that requires a minimum of two years of training or experience.
The State Department warns that these conditions apply to the principal applicant.
How to register for the 2027 Visa Lottery
When the United States opens the application process, registration must be done electronically through the official website of the State Department's Diversity Visa Program.
The form requests personal and family information and requires a photograph that meets specific conditions.
It is also essential to correctly declare your spouse and all children who must be included according to the program rules. Errors or omissions may later lead to disqualification of your application.
Once the registration has been successfully submitted, the system will provide a confirmation number. Please keep this number safe, as it will be needed to check the results.
How much does it cost to register for the Visa Lottery?
This is another change that must be taken into account for the next call for applications.
The current State Department fee schedule includes a $1 registration fee for the principal applicant of the Diversity Visa, payable at the time of registration.
This represents a change from previous editions, when initial participation was free.
The registration fee should not be confused with the cost a person faces if they are selected and subsequently apply for a visa. The consular fee for a selected candidate is currently US$330 per person, according to the State Department.
Being selected does not guarantee that the visa will be approved.
How do I know if I won the Visa Lottery?
Participants should not trust emails, WhatsApp messages, or people who claim to know the results.
The State Department uses the official Entrant Status Check system so that each participant can personally check if they were selected.
To do this, you will need to keep the confirmation number received when you completed the registration.
The United States will announce later the date from which the results for DV-2027 can be consulted.
What happens if you are selected?
Those who are selected must move quickly through the subsequent steps of the process.
These include completing the DS-260 electronic form, submitting the corresponding documentation, and, when the case progresses, attending a consular interview.
During the process, it is also verified that the candidate meets the education or work experience requirements and other conditions necessary to receive an immigrant visa.
There is also a strict time limit: for the DV-2027, visas must be processed within the fiscal year that extends until September 30, 2027. A selection that is not completed within the relevant period cannot be carried over to the following year.
The issuance of diversity visas is currently paused
There is another particularly important piece of information in 2026. Since December 23, 2025, the State Department has paused the issuance of Diversity Program visas while it reviews the system's security and verification procedures.
According to the latest official information available, applicants can continue submitting their applications and attending scheduled interviews, but Diversity Visas are not being issued while the pause remains in effect. The government also stated that there are no exceptions to this measure.
This does not mean the program has been eliminated. In fact, the State Department continues to publish information about the DV-2027 and maintains its application period as scheduled between October 2026 and September 2027.
Beware of Visa Lottery scams
Delays and changes in the schedule can be exploited by sites or intermediaries that present themselves as official.
The State Department recommends completing the registration in person and expressly warns against fraudulent websites and emails that attempt to impersonate U.S. government services.
No intermediary can guarantee selection or improve the chances of being chosen.
Until Washington officially announces the opening of the 2027 Visa Lottery, the most important thing is not to fill out forms on sites that claim the application period has already begun and to verify any updates directly with the State Department.
