The U.S. Department of State has announced that the Diversity Visa (DV) Program for fiscal year 2025 is nearing its visa issuance limit for certain countries, particularly Egypt, which is approaching the seven percent per-country cap mandated by U.S. immigration law.
According to the Department’s notice, under U.S. immigration law, no single country can receive more than seven percent of the approximately 52,056 diversity visas available in any one fiscal year. As Egypt is close to reaching this per-country limit for FY 2025, the Department may take steps to avoid exceeding the country-specific numerical limits, including potentially canceling visa interview appointments for individuals who no longer have an available visa.
The Diversity Visa Program aims to promote immigration from countries with historically low U.S. immigration rates, but the annual cap ensures no single country dominates the visa allocations. The Department’s notice clarifies that individuals impacted by the early conclusion of the DV program for nationals of any country reaching the seven-percent limit, such as Egypt, may reapply in subsequent program years for which their foreign state of chargeability qualifies. The next opportunity to apply will be during the DV-2026 entry period, which typically opens in early October.
The Department also emphasized that selection in the DV lottery does not guarantee a visa interview or a visa. As stated in the annual program instructions, selection merely indicates eligibility to participate in the DV program and potentially apply for a visa.
To ensure maximum use of the available visas, more individuals are selected each year than the number of visas available, because some selected individuals may not qualify or choose not to proceed with their applications. Applicants must meet stringent eligibility criteria and complete the process before the fiscal year ends on September 30, 2025.
A similar situation had occurred in fiscal years 2023 and 2022, when the U.S. Department of State issued more diversity visas than the congressionally mandated cap. In FY 2023, the government issued 56,038 visas, exceeding the 55,000 cap by 1,038. As a result, visa interview appointments scheduled after September 7, including those for Nepali selectees and others, were canceled.
Similarly, in fiscal year 2022, the U.S. Department of State issued 54,334 diversity visas, and an additional 1,440 selectees had their statuses adjusted by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), resulting in a total of 774 visas issued above the allocated quota. Despite these over-issuances, no visas already granted were revoked in either year.
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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.
