2026 Visa Lottery: when is the call for applications and which countries participate?
The call for applications for the 2026 Visa Lottery opens in a few weeks. Who can apply for a Green Card? We explain.
The call for participation in the “visa lottery” opens in a few weeks. Each year, the U.S. government grants up to 55,000 diversity visas to allow permanent residence to people from countries with low immigration rates to the United States.
This Diversity Immigrant Visa Program is commonly known as the “visa lottery.” Applications generally open two years in advance. For example, this 2024, citizens of eligible countries can apply for the 2026 Visa Lottery.
Visa Lottery 2026: when the call opens and which countries participate
The State Department publishes a list of eligible countries annually, as well as the dates on which the application process opens. The State Department has not yet announced official dates, but based on previous years, we can deduce that the 2026 visa lottery will open in early October and close in the first week of November.
Once this year's dates have been announced, people from eligible countries must wait for the process to begin and register online. It is important to mention that registration for the visa lottery program is free.
The draw will take place in 2025 and the winners will be announced. The following year, they can begin the process of obtaining permanent residency.
You may be interested in: Who can legally enter the United States without a visa?
Visa Lottery 2026: Who is eligible to participate in the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program?
According to the usa.gov portal, these are the eligibility requirements to participate in the visa lottery:
- Be a citizen of a country with a low immigration rate to the United States
- Have 12 years of primary and secondary education or its equivalent.
- Have at least two years of work experience, within the last five years, in an eligible occupation.
Those who are selected to begin the process must submit the immigration forms required by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). They must then attend an interview at the embassy closest to their place of residence.
Which countries can participate in the 2026 Visa Lottery?
Each year, the Department of State shares a list of ineligible countries. This list includes countries that recorded more than 50,000 natives immigrating to the United States in the previous five years.
Citizens of countries not listed are eligible to apply to the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program.
The list of ineligible countries has not been officially published, but regularly includes Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Korea (South Korea), United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, Venezuela and Vietnam.
For more information, visit the Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs website.