The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs will announce the Fiscal Year 2026 Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery results tomorrow, May 3, 2025. Starting at 12:00 noon ET, applicants can check their status online to determine if they are among the 55,000 selected for diversity visas in the 2026 fiscal year.
Selected applicants can begin applying for visas on October 1, 2025, and must complete the process by September 30, 2026, or lose eligibility under U.S. law. Those who applied between October 2 and November 7, 2024, should keep their confirmation numbers until at least September 30, 2026.
To verify status, applicants need their confirmation number, last name, and year of birth on the official DV Lottery website, the only legitimate platform for results. The State Department warns against fraudulent emails or messages claiming selection.
Mandated by Section 203(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program facilitates immigration from countries with historically low U.S. migration. The 55,000 FY 2026 visas will be allocated across six geographic regions, with no country receiving over 7% of the total. Winners must meet strict eligibility criteria in a highly competitive process.
The program faces potential termination. In February 2025, Representative Mike Collins introduced a bill to end the DV Lottery and limit family-based sponsorship for winners. President Donald Trump also targets the program, particularly after a 2017 attack by a DV recipient, and supported the failed RAISE Act to eliminate it.
For countries like Nepal, where over 57,000 citizens have secured green cards through the program, the DV Lottery has been transformative, with over 1 million Nepalis applying annually. Its potential end could close a vital pathway for underrepresented nations.
Susan Shrestha
View More PostsSusan Shrestha is a Europe-based journalist. He covers a wide range of topics, from local matters to global affairs. Shrestha previously worked as a reporter for Khasokhas in Nepal.
