Of the 3,863 Nepali winners of the 2024 Diversity Visa (DV) lottery, 3,431 successfully obtained U.S. green cards. These 3,431 recipients include primary winners as well as their family members, meaning that the number of Nepali DV winners who did not receive visas is higher than 432.
According to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs, 355 Nepalis received their diversity visas in September, following 601 in August, and 272 in July. Earlier in the fiscal year, 399 visas were issued in April, 293 in May, and 86 in June.
The trend of visa issuance for Nepali DV winners started to decline from December, when 414 visas were issued, dropping to 311 in January, and down to 268 in February. The numbers fell further to 198 in March. In the first two months of FY 2024, only 3 visas were issued to Nepalis in October, and 261 in November.
In total, there were 3,863 Nepali DV winners for FY 2024, placing Nepal as the third highest country in Asia for DV lottery wins, following Iran with 5,077 winners and Afghanistan with 4,536.
However, only applicants with a case number under 13,000 received visas. Even so, many Nepali winners with lower case numbers reported that they did not get an interview.
Globally, 143,000 individuals won the DV lottery, although a maximum of 55,000 visas were available. Winning the lottery does not guarantee U.S. immigration. For DV 2024, over 22 million people applied, double the 9.57 million applicants for DV 2023. The 2024 DV program officially concluded on September 30, with the DV 2025 program beginning on October 1.
The U.S. Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, mandated by Congress, is conducted annually by the Department of State. Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, the program aims to diversify U.S. immigration by giving individuals from historically underrepresented countries an opportunity to immigrate.
Each year, the program allocates 55,000 visas across six global regions, with no single country receiving more than 7% of the available visas (3,850 for primary winners and family members combined).
Applicants who win the lottery must meet strict eligibility criteria to qualify for the visa, ensuring that only those who meet U.S. immigration standards can complete the process.
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Kishor Panthi
View More PostsKishor Panthi is the founder and editor-in-chief of Khasokhas and NepYork. He is the author of three books, “Kampan,” "UNTRANSLATABLE" and “Zero Mile.” He writes about social issues, immigration, and politics.
