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Applicants who submitted an entry under the Diversity Visa 2026 green card lottery (DV-2026) can check the status of their application online starting on Saturday, May 3, 2025, at noon (EDT). The DV-2026 entry period opened on October 2, 2024, and closed on November 7, 2024. Only confirmation information for entries submitted during this period are valid for checking your status.

All DV-2026 applicants must check their status online, and will not receive a notification letter or e-mail from the U.S. government that they have been selected. Diversity Visa Entry Status Check will only be provided through the Department of State secure online site. Until September 30, 2026, entrants are able to check the status of their entry through the E-DV website at https://dvprogram.state.gov/. Entrants need to use their own confirmation page information from the time of their entry to check the status to find out if their Diversity Visa Lottery entry was or was not selected. Entrants will need to enter their last name, year of birth and confirmation number from the receipt at time of entry.

The Department of State advises the public of a notable increase in fraudulent emails and letters sent to potential Diversity Visa (DV) program (Visa Lottery) applicants. The scammers behind these fraudulent emails and letters are posing as the U.S. government in an attempt to extract payment from DV applicants.

Please keep your confirmation number until at least September 30, 2026, even if you are not selected on May 3, 2025. The Department of State may select more DV-2026 entries on October 1, 2025 or thereafter.

Entrants who have lost their confirmation number can enter further identifying details on the official website to retrieve it by clicking the “Forgot Confirmation Number” link using the e-mail address from their entry.

All lottery applicants who were assisted at our office would have received a copy of their application confirmation page with their confirmation number. Please contact our office if you need the information again.

Selected entrants must confirm their qualifications, submit their immigrant visa and alien registration application, prepare supporting documents, and have a consular interview. Visa number allocations are determined by the provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act which determines the number of diversity immigrant visas available each year. Selected entrants will only be scheduled for an interview when and if there is a visa number available. Before being interviewed, each applicant must pay the Diversity Visa Lottery fee of $330 per person which is not refundable. For more detailed information, including steps to take to prepare for the consulate interview, go to https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/immigrate/diversity-visa/if-you-are-selected.html.

It is expected that the next application period for the DV Lottery will be between October and November this year. Official dates, rules and eligible countries should be announced by late September. For more information, go to the official US State Department website at https://dvprogram.state.gov/. You may also contact our office in the early fall for more information and assistance to complete another application. Be aware that the application for the DV lottery is free and you do not need to pay anyone to enter.