Green Card DV Lottery 2023 – 2024 – 2025 .. Questions & Answers

Last Updated: 14 October 2022

Contents hide

1 Eligibility For Green Card DV Lottery 2023 – 2024 – 2025

2 DV Lottery 2025 Registration Start Date

3 DV Lottery Green Card Registration Form

4 Selection For The DV Lottery?

5 Ineligibilities

6 DV Lottery Green Card Frauds And Scams

7 DV Lottery Statistics

8 DV Lottery 2023 – 2024 – 2025 Eligible Countries

Eligibility For Green Card DV Lottery 2023 – 2024 – 2025

What do the terms “native” and “chargeability” mean?

Native ordinarily means someone born in a particular country, regardless of the individual’s current country of residence or nationality. Native can also mean someone who is entitled to be charged to a country other than the one in which he/she was born under the provisions of Section 202(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Because there is a numerical limitation on immigrants who enter from a country or geographic region, each individual is charged to a country. Your chargeability refers to the country towards which limitation you count. Your country of eligibility will normally be the same as your country of birth. However, you may choose your country of eligibility as the country of birth of your spouse, or the country of birth of either of your parents if you were born in a country in which neither parent was born and in which your parents were not resident at the time of your birth. These are the only three ways to select your country of chargeability.

Listing an incorrect country of eligibility or chargeability (i.e., one to which you cannot establish a valid claim) may make you ineligible for DV-2025.

Can I still apply if I was not born in a qualifying country?

There are two circumstances in which you still might be eligible to apply. First, if your derivative spouse was born in an eligible country, you may claim chargeability to that country. As your eligibility is based on your spouse, you will only be issued an immigrant visa if your spouse is also eligible for and issued an immigrant

visa. Both of you must enter the United States together, using your DVs. Similarly, your minor dependent child can be “charged” to a parent’s country of birth.

Second, you can be “charged” to the country of birth of either of your parents as long as neither of your parents was born in or a resident of your country of birth at the time of your birth. People are not generally considered residents of a country in which they were not born or legally naturalized. For example, persons simply visiting, studying, or temporarily working in a country are not generally considered residents.

If you claim alternate chargeability through either of the above, you must provide an explanation on the E-DV Entry Form, in question #6.

Listing an incorrect country of eligibility or chargeability (i.e., one to which you cannot establish a valid claim) will make you ineligible for a DV.

Why do natives of certain countries not qualify for the DV program?

DVs are intended to provide an immigration opportunity for persons who are not from “high admission” countries. U.S. law defines “high admission countries” as those from which a total of 50,000 persons in the Family-Sponsored and Employment-Based visa categories immigrated to the United States during the previous five years. Each year, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) counts the family and employment immigrant admission and adjustment of status numbers for the previous five years to identify the countries that are considered “high admission” and whose natives will therefore be ineligible for the annual Diversity Visa program. Since USCIS makes this calculation annually, the list of countries whose natives are eligible or not eligible may change from one year to the next.

How many DV-2025 visas will go to natives of each region and eligible country?

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) determines the regional DV limits for each year according to a formula specified in Section 203(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The number of visas the Department of State eventually will issue to natives of each country will depend on the regional limits established, how many entrants come from each country, and how many of the selected entrants are found eligible for the visa. No more than seven per cent of the total visas available can go to natives of any one country.

What are the requirements for education or work experience?

U.S. immigration law and regulations require that every DV entrant must have at least a high school education or its equivalent or have two years of work experience within the past five years in an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience. A “high school education or equivalent” is defined as successful completion of a 12-year course of elementary and secondary education in the United States OR the successful completion in another country of a formal course of elementary and secondary education comparable to high school education in the United States. Only formal courses of study meet this requirement; correspondence programs or equivalency certificates (such as the General Equivalency Diploma [G.E.D.]) are not acceptable. You must present documentary proof of education or work experience to the consular officer at the time of the visa interview.

If you do not meet the requirements for education or work experience you will be ineligible for a DV, and your spouse and children will be ineligible for derivative DVs.

What occupations qualify for the DV program?

The Department of State will use the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) O*Net Online database to determine qualifying work experience. The O*Net Online database categorizes job experience into five “job zones.” While the DOL website lists many occupations, not all occupations qualify for the DV program. To qualify for a DV on the basis of your work experience, you must have, within the past five years, two years of experience in an occupation classified in a Specific Vocational Preparation (SVP) range of 7.0 or higher.

If you do not meet the requirements for education or work experience, you will be ineligible for a DV, and your spouse and children will be ineligible for derivative DVs.

How can I find the qualifying DV occupations in the Department of Labor’s O*Net OnLine database?

When you are in O*Net OnLine, follow these steps to determine if your occupation qualifies:

Under “Find Occupations,” select “Job Family” from the pull-down menu;
Browse by “Job Family,” make your selection, and click “GO”;
Click on the link for your specific occupation; and
Select the tab “Job Zone” to find the designated Job Zone number and Specific Vocational Preparation (SVP) rating range.

As an example, select Aerospace Engineers. At the bottom of the Summary Report for Aerospace Engineers, under the Job Zone section, you will find the designated Job Zone 4, SVP Range, 7.0 to < 8.0. Using this example, Aerospace Engineering is a qualifying occupation.

For additional information, see the Diversity Visa – List of Occupations webpage.

Is there a minimum age to apply for the E-DV Program?

There is no minimum age to apply, but the requirement of high school education or work experience for each principal applicant at the time of application will effectively disqualify most persons who are under age 18.

DV Lottery 2025 Registration Start Date

DV lottery 2025 registration opening date is October 6, 2024, until November 9, 2024.

DV Lottery Green Card Registration Form

When can I submit my entry?

The DV-2024 entry period will run from 12:00 pm (noon), Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (GMT-4), Wednesday, October 6, 2022, until 12:00 pm (noon), Eastern Standard Time (EST) (GMT-5), Tuesday, November 9, 2022. Each year, millions of people submit entries. Restricting the entry period to these dates ensures selectees receive notification in a timely manner and gives both the visa applicants and our embassies and consulates time to prepare and complete cases for visa issuance.

We strongly encourage you to enter early during the registration period. Excessive demand at end of the registration period may slow the processing system. We cannot accept entries after noon EST on Tuesday, November 9, 2022.

I am in the United States. Can I enter the DV program?

Yes, an entrant may apply while in the United States or another country. An entrant may submit an entry from any location.

Can I only enter once during the registration period?

Yes, the law allows only one entry per person during each registration period. The Department of State uses sophisticated technology to detect multiple entries. Individuals with more than one entry will be ineligible for a DV.

Why do I need a passport to enter the DV program? Are there any exceptions?

Requiring a valid, unexpired passport adds security to the DV process and helps protect your entry. The rule does not apply to children or spouses of the principal entrant. The passport must be valid for international travel. Internal passports, issued by some countries, are not valid for DV entry purposes.

Exemptions from the Passport Requirement: The Department of State’s regulations provide for three limited exemptions from the passport requirement. These three exemptions are for: individuals who are stateless, nationals of a Communist-controlled country who are unable to obtain a passport from the government of the Communist-controlled country, and beneficiaries of individual waivers approved by the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of State. If you selected one of these exemptions on your DV entry, you will be required to explain how you meet the exemption you selected. The exemptions apply only to individuals who are unable to obtain a passport. If you selected an exemption because of a delay in obtaining a passport, whether or not that delay was within your control, you do not qualify for an exemption, and you will be ineligible for a diversity visa.

Stateless Individuals: Statelessness is rare. If on your DV entry, you check the box corresponding to this exemption, you will be required to provide evidence to establish that you did not acquire the nationality of your country of birth under the laws of that country and that you do not have any other nationality.

Nationals of a Communist-controlled country: If on your DV entry, you check the box corresponding to this exemption, you will be required to provide evidence to establish that you are unable to obtain a passport from the government of your country of nationality.

Beneficiaries of individual waivers: If on your DV entry, you check the box corresponding to this exemption, you will be required to provide evidence that you are unable to obtain a passport and the reason you should receive an individual passport waiver, such as:

A previous U.S. visa issued to you on form DS-232 because you were unable to obtain a passport, and that the same reasons that you previously sought a passport waiver still apply;
Form I-193 approved by USCIS because you were unable to obtain a passport, and that the same reasons that you previously sought a passport waiver still apply; or
Documentation showing that you have been granted refugee status in a country other than your country of nationality because you have been persecuted by the government of your country of nationality, making it impossible for you to obtain a passport from that government without experiencing further harm.

Again, you should consider not pursuing a DV entry if you do not meet the qualifying education or work experience requirements explained above, or if you do not have a valid passport at the time of entry. If you are found to be ineligible for a diversity visa, any fees you pay for the visa application will not be refunded.

What if my passport expires, or I lose it before I apply for a visa?

If your passport number changes for any reason, you will have to provide evidence of why it has changed to the Department of State’s Kentucky Consular Center (KCC) before they will schedule your DV interview. If you enter a false, inaccurate, or invalid passport number on your DV entry, you will be ineligible for a DV. We suggest you make a legible photocopy of the passport you use for the entry and store it in a secure location with your entry confirmation number (FAQ #27). A photocopy alone is not proof you entered a valid passport number on your entry, but it can help you explain the situation. The final determination is made by the Consular Officer at the time of your DV interview.

May my spouse and I each submit a separate entry?

Yes, each spouse may each submit one entry if each meets the eligibility requirements. If either spouse is selected, the other is entitled to apply as a derivative dependent.

Which family members must I include in my DV entry?

Spouse: If you are legally married, you must list your spouse regardless of whether he/she lives with you or intends to immigrate to the United States. You must list your spouse even if you currently are separated from him/her, unless you are legally separated. Legal separation is an arrangement when a couple remains married but lives apart, following a court order. If you and your spouse are legally separated, your spouse will not be able to immigrate with you through the Diversity Visa program. You will not be penalized if you choose to enter the name of a spouse from whom you are legally separated. If you are not legally separated by a court order, you must include your spouse even if you plan to be divorced before you apply for the Diversity Visa, or your spouse does not intend to immigrate. Failure to list your eligible spouse or listing someone who is not your spouse will make you ineligible for a DV. If you are not married at the time of entry but plan on getting married in the future, do not list a spouse on your entry form, as this would make you ineligible for a DV. If you are divorced or your spouse is deceased, you do not have to list your former spouse.

The only exception to this requirement is if your spouse is already a U.S. citizen or U.S. Lawful Permanent Resident. If your spouse is a U.S. citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident, do not list him/her in your entry. A spouse who is already a U.S. citizen or a Lawful Permanent Resident will not require or be issued a DV. Therefore, if you select “married and my spouse IS a U.S. citizen or U.S. LPR” on your entry, you will not be able to include further information on your spouse.

Children: You must list ALL your living children who are unmarried and under 21 years of age at the time of your initial DV entry, whether they are your natural children, your step-children (even if you are now divorced

from that child’s parent), your spouse’s children, or children you have formally adopted in accordance with the applicable laws. List all children under 21 years of age at the time of your electronic entry, even if they no longer reside with you or you do not intend for them to immigrate under the DV program. You are not required to list children who are already U.S. citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents, though you will not be penalized if you do include them.

Parents and siblings of the entrant are ineligible to receive DV visas as dependents, and you should not include them in your entry.

If you list family members on your entry, they are not required to apply for a visa or to immigrate or travel with you. However, if you fail to include an eligible dependent on your original entry or list someone who is not your dependent, you will be ineligible for a DV, and your spouse and children will be ineligible for derivative DVs. This only applies to those who were family members at the time the entry was submitted, not those acquired at a later date. Your spouse, if eligible to enter, may still submit a separate entry even though he or she is listed on your entry, and both entries must include details about all dependents in your family (see FAQ #12 above).

Must I submit my own entry, or can someone else do it for me?

We encourage you to prepare and submit your own entry, but you may have someone submit the entry for you. Regardless of whether you submit your own entry, or an attorney, friend, relative, or someone else submits it on your behalf, only one entry may be submitted in your name. You, as the entrant, are responsible for ensuring that information in the entry is correct and complete; entries that are not correct or complete will be disqualified. Entrants should keep their confirmation number so they are able to check the status of their entry independently, using Entrant Status Check at dvprogram.state.gov. Entrants should retain access to the email account used in the E-DV submission.

I’m already registered for an immigrant visa in another category. Can I still apply for the DV program?

Yes.

Can I download and save the E-DV entry form into a word processing program and finish it later?

No, you will not be able to save the form into another program for completion and submission later. The E-DV Entry Form is a web-form only. You must fill in the information and submit it online.

Can I save the form online and finish it later?

No. The E-DV Entry Form is designed to be completed and submitted at one time. You will have 60 minutes, starting from when you download the form, to complete and submit your entry through the E-DV website. If you exceed the 60-minute limit and have not submitted your complete entry electronically, the system discards any information already entered. The system deletes any partial entries so that they are not accidentally identified as duplicates of a later, complete entry. Read the DV instructions completely before you start to complete the form online so that you know exactly what information you will need.

I don’t have a scanner. Can I send photographs to someone else to scan them, save them, and email them back to me so I can use them in my entry?

Yes, as long as the photograph meets the requirements in the instructions and is electronically submitted with, and at the same time as, the E-DV online entry. You must already have the scanned photograph file when you submit the entry online; it cannot be submitted separately from the online application. The entire entry (photograph and application together) can be submitted electronically from the United States or from overseas.

If the E-DV system rejects my entry, can I resubmit my entry?

Yes, you can resubmit your entry as long as your submission is completed by 12:00 pm (noon) Eastern Standard Time (EST) (GMT-5) on Tuesday, November 9, 2024. You will not be penalized for submitting a duplicate entry if the E-DV system rejects your initial entry. Given the unpredictable nature of the Internet,

you may not receive the rejection notice immediately. You can try to apply as many times as is necessary until a complete application is received and the confirmation notice sent. Once you receive a confirmation notice, your entry is complete, and you should NOT submit any additional entries.

How soon after I submit my entry will I receive the electronic confirmation notice?

You should receive the confirmation notice immediately, including a confirmation number that you must record and keep. However, the unpredictable nature of the Internet can result in delays. You can hit the “Submit” button as many times as is necessary until a complete application is sent and you receive the confirmation notice. However, once you receive a confirmation notice, do not resubmit your information.

I hit the “Submit” button but did not receive a confirmation number. If I submit another entry, will I be disqualified?

If you did not receive a confirmation number, your entry was not recorded. You must submit another entry. It will not be counted as a duplicate. Once you receive a confirmation number, do not resubmit your information.

Selection For The DV Lottery?

How do I know if I am selected?

You must use your confirmation number to access the Entrant Status Check available on the E-DV website at dvprogram.state.gov from May 8, 2022, through September 30, 2023. Entrant Status Check is the sole means by which the Department of State will notify you if you are selected, provide further instructions on your visa application, and notify you of your immigrant visa interview appointment date and time. In order to ensure the use of all available visas, the Department of State may use Entrant Status Check to notify additional selectees after May 8, 2022. Retain your confirmation number until September 30, 2023, in case of any updates. The only authorized Department of State website for official online entry in the Diversity Visa Program and Entrant Status Check is dvprogram.state.gov.

The Department of State will NOT contact you to tell you that you have been selected (see FAQ #25).

How will I know if I am not selected? Will I be notified?

The Department of State will NOT notify you directly if your entry is not selected. You must use the Entrant Status Check to learn whether you were selected. You may check the status of your DV-2024 entry through the Entrant Status Check on the E-DV website from May 8, 2024, until September 30, 2024. Keep your confirmation number until at least September 30, 2023. (Status information for the previous year’s DV program, DV-2023, is available online through September 30, 2023.)

What if I lose my confirmation number?

You must have your confirmation number to access Entrant Status Check. A tool is now available in Entrant Status Check on the E-DV website that will allow you to retrieve your confirmation number via the email address with which you registered by entering certain personal information to confirm your identity.

U.S. embassies and consulates and the Kentucky Consular Center are unable to check your selection status for you or provide your confirmation number to you directly (other than through the Entrant Status Check retrieval tool). The Department of State is NOT able to provide a list of those selected to continue the visa process.

Will I receive information from the Department of State by email or by postal mail?

The Department of State will not send you a notification letter. The U.S. government has never sent emails to notify individuals that they have been selected, and there are no plans to use email for this purpose for the DV-2025 program. If you are a selectee, you will only receive email communications regarding your visa appointment after you have responded to the notification instructions on Entrant Status Check, if an immigrant visa interview becomes available. These emails will not contain information on the actual appointment date and time; they will simply tell you to go to the Entrant Status Check website for details. The Department of State may send emails reminding DV program applicants to check the Entrant Status

Check for their status. However, such emails will never indicate whether the DV program applicant was selected or not.

Only internet sites that end with the “.gov” domain suffix are official U.S. government websites. Many other websites (e.g., with the suffixes “.com,” “.org,” or “.net”) provide immigration and visa-related information and services. The Department of State does not endorse, recommend, or sponsor any information or material on these other websites.

Warning: You may receive emails from websites that try to trick you into sending money or providing your personal information. You may be asked to pay for forms and information about immigration procedures, all of which are available free on the Department of State website, travel.state.gov, or through U.S. embassy or consulate websites. Additionally, organizations or websites may try to steal your money by charging fees for DV-related services. If you send money to one of these non-government organizations or websites, you will likely never see it again. Also, do not send personal information to these websites, as it may be used for identity fraud/theft.

Deceptive emails may come from people pretending to be affiliated with the Kentucky Consular Center or the Department of State. Remember that the U.S. government has never sent emails to notify individuals they have been selected, and there are no plans to use email for this purpose for the DV-2025 program. The Department of State will never ask you to send money by mail or by services such as Western Union, although applications to USCIS for adjustments of status do require mailing a fee. Visit this site for more details on adjusting status.

How many individuals will be selected for DV Lottery?

55,000 Diversity Visas are available. The Department of State selects more than 55,000 selectees to account for selectees who will not qualify for visas and those who will not pursue their cases to completion. This means there will not be a sufficient number of visas for all those selected. The Department does this to try to use as many of the 55,000 DVs as we can.

You can check the E-DV website’s Entrant Status Check to see if you have been selected for further processing and your place on the list. Interviews for the DV program will begin in October 2024 for selectees who have submitted all pre-interview paperwork and other information as requested in the notification instructions. Selectees whose applications have been fully processed and have been scheduled for a visa interview appointment will receive a notification to obtain details through the E-DV website’s Entrant Status Check four to six weeks before the scheduled interviews with U.S. consular officers overseas.

Each month, visas may be issued to those applicants who are eligible for issuance during that month, as long as visas are available. Once all of the 55,000 diversity visas have been issued, the program will end. Visa numbers could be finished before September 2024. Selected applicants who wish to apply for visas must be prepared to act promptly on their cases. Being randomly chosen as a selectee does not guarantee that you will receive a visa or even the chance to make a visa application or to schedule a visa interview. Selection merely means that you are eligible to apply for a Diversity Visa. If your rank number becomes eligible for final processing, you may have the chance to make an application and potentially may be issued a Diversity Visa. A maximum of 55,000 visas may be issued to such applicants.

How will successful entrants be selected?

Official notifications of selection will be made through Entrant Status Check, available May 8, through September 30, on the E-DV website, dvprogram.state.gov. The Department of State does not send selectee notifications or letters by regular postal mail or by email. Any email notification or mailed letter stating that you have been selected to receive a DV that does not come from the Department of State is not legitimate. Any email communication you receive from the Department of State will direct you to review Entrant Status Check for new information about your application. The Department of State will never ask you to send money by mail or by services such as Western Union, unless you are adjusting status. See this site for more information on adjusting status.

All entries received from each region are individually numbered; at the end of the entry period, a computer will randomly select entries from among all the entries received for each geographic region. Within each region, the first entry randomly selected will be the first case registered; the second entry selected will be the

second case registered, etc. All entries received within each region during the entry period will have an equal chance of being selected. When an entry has been selected, the entrant will receive notification of his or her selection through the Entrant Status Check available starting May 8, on the E-DV website, dvprogram.state.gov. For individuals who are selected and who respond to the instructions provided online via Entrant Status Check, the Department of State’s Kentucky Consular Center (KCC) will process the case until those selected are instructed to appear for visa interviews at a U.S. embassy or consulate or until those in the United States who are applying to adjust status apply with USCIS in the United States.

I am already in the United States. If selected, may I adjust my status with USCIS?

Yes, provided you are otherwise eligible to adjust status under the terms of Section 245 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), you may apply to USCIS for adjustment of status to permanent resident. You must ensure that USCIS can complete action on your case, including processing of any overseas applications for a spouse or for children under 21 years of age, before September 30, since on that date your eligibility for the DV program expires. The Department of State will not approve any visa numbers or adjustments of status for the DV program after midnight EDT on September 30.

If I am selected, for how long am I entitled to apply for a Diversity Visa?

If you are selected in the DV program, you are entitled to apply for visa issuance only during U.S. government fiscal year 2024, which is from October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2024. We encourage selectees to apply for visas as early as possible once their program rank numbers become eligible.

Without exception, all selected and eligible applicants must obtain their visa or adjust status by the end of the fiscal year. There is no carry-over of DV benefits into the next year for persons who are selected but who do not obtain visas by September 30, 2024 (the end of the fiscal year). Also, spouses and children who derive status from a DV-2024 registration can only obtain visas in the DV category between October 1, 2024, and September 30, 2024. Individuals who apply overseas will receive an appointment notification from the Department of State through Entrant Status Check on the E-DV website four to six weeks before the scheduled appointment.

If a DV selectee dies, what happens to the case?

If a DV selectee dies at any point before he or she has traveled to the United States or adjusted status, the DV case is automatically closed. Any derivative spouse and/or children of the deceased selectee will no longer be entitled to apply for a DV visa. Any visas issued to them will be revoked.

DV Lottery Green Card

How much does it cost to enter the Diversity Visa program?

There is no fee charged to submit an electronic entry. However, if you are selected and apply for a Diversity Visa, you must pay all required visa application fees at the time of visa application and interview directly to the consular cashier at the U.S. embassy or consulate. If you are a selectee already in the United States and you apply to USCIS to adjust status, you will pay all required fees directly to USCIS. If you are selected, you will receive details of required fees with the instructions provided through the E-DV website at dvprogram.state.gov.

How and where do I pay DV and immigrant visa fees if I am selected?

If you are a randomly selected entrant, you will receive instructions for the DV application process through Entrant Status Check at dvprogram.state.gov. You will pay all fees in person only at the U.S. embassy or consulate at the time of the visa application. The consular cashier will immediately give you a U.S. government receipt for payment. Do not send money for DV fees to anyone through the mail, Western Union, or any other delivery service if you are applying for an immigrant visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate.

If you are selected and are already present in the United States and plan to file for adjustment of status with USCIS, the instructions page accessible through Entrant Status Check at dvprogram.state.gov contains separate instructions on how to mail adjustment of status application fees to a U.S. bank.

If I apply for a DV, but don’t qualify to receive one, can I get a refund of the visa fees I paid?

No. Visa application fees cannot be refunded. You must meet all qualifications for the visa as detailed in these instructions. If a consular officer determines you do not meet requirements for the visa, or you are otherwise ineligible for the DV under U.S. law, the officer cannot issue a visa and you will forfeit all fees paid.

Ineligibilities

As a DV applicant, can I receive a waiver of any grounds of visa ineligibility? Does my waiver application receive any special processing?

DV applicants are subject to all grounds of ineligibility for immigrant visas specified in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). There are no special provisions for the waiver of any ground of visa ineligibility aside from those ordinarily provided in the INA, nor is there special processing for waiver requests. Some general waiver provisions for people with close relatives who are U.S. citizens or Lawful Permanent Resident aliens may be available to DV applicants in some cases, but the time constraints in the DV program may make it difficult for applicants to benefit from such provisions.

DV Lottery Green Card Frauds And Scams

How can I report internet fraud or unsolicited emails?

Please visit the econsumer.gov website, hosted by the Federal Trade Commission in cooperation with consumer-protection agencies from 36 nations. You also may report fraud to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Internet Crime Complaint Center. To file a complaint about unsolicited email, use the “Telemarking and Spam” complaint tool on the econsumer.gov website or visit the Department of Justice Unsolicited Commercial Email (“Spam”) webpage for additional information and contacts.

DV Lottery Statistics

How many visas will be issued in DV-2024?

By law, a maximum of 55,000 visas are available each year to eligible persons.

Other

If I receive a visa through the DV program, will the U.S. government pay for my airfare to the United States, help me find housing and employment, and/or provide healthcare or any subsidies until I am fully settled?

No. The U.S. government will not provide any of these services to you if you receive a visa through the DV program. If you are selected to apply for a DV, before being issued a visa you must demonstrate that you will not become a public charge in the United States. If you are selected and submit a diversity visa application, you should familiarize yourself with the Department of State’s public guidance on how the likelihood of becoming a public charge is assessed and what evidence can be provided to demonstrate that you are not likely to become a public charge.

DV Lottery 2023 – 2024 – 2025 Eligible Countries

The list below shows the countries whose natives are eligible for DV-2024, grouped by geographic region. Dependent areas overseas are included within the region of the governing country. USCIS identified the countries whose natives are not eligible for the DV-2024 program according to the formula in Section 203(c) of the INA. The countries whose natives are not eligible for the DV program (because they are the principal source countries of Family-Sponsored and Employment-Based immigration or “high-admission” countries) are noted after the respective regional lists.

AFRICA

Algeria
Angola
Benin
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Cabo Verde
Central African Republic
Chad
Comoros
Congo
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Cote D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
Djibouti
Egypt*
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Eswatini
Ethiopia
Gabon
Gambia, The
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Madagascar
Malawi
Mali
Mauritania
Mauritius
Morocco
Mozambique
Namibia
Niger
Rwanda
Sao Tome and Principe
Senegal
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Africa
South Sudan
Sudan
Tanzania
Togo
Tunisia
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe
In Africa, natives of Nigeria are not eligible for this year’s Diversity Visa program.