The U.S. Department of State has published a final rule in the Federal Register on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, to establish a $1 fee for registering for the Diversity Visa (DV) lottery program. The new fee will be collected electronically at the time of registration. The department has estimated that this registration will generate approximately $25,000,000.
The final rule, titled “Schedule of Fees for Consular Services, Department of State and Overseas Embassies and Consulates – Visa Services Fee Changes,” is intended to more fairly distribute the cost of administering the DV lottery, according to the federal register notice.
“This change will more fairly place the burden of the lottery registration on individuals seeking the benefit of gaining access to the DV application process instead of charging only the small percentage of successful registrants for the costs associated with administering the lottery program for all registrants,” the federal register notice reads.
Previously, the operational costs of the lottery were included in the Diversity Visa Application fee, which is currently $330 and is only paid by successful registrants.
According to the notice, the new $1 fee will be borne by all individuals who register for the lottery, shifting the cost burden from the small percentage of successful applicants to the entire pool of registrants. The Department states this change will help to “reduce specious registrations by actors seeking to exploit unsuspecting potential entrants.”
The Department also notes that while the cost of running the lottery will be removed from the DV application fee, the overall fee for successful applicants will not be immediately reduced. The Department will review the DV application fee in a future model update.
The rule will be implemented for DV 2027, which is set to open in early October 2025. While an exact date for the DV 2027 application period has not been specified, it is expected to begin in the first week of October. The Department of State will soon publish detailed information on its website and in the Federal Register, including the application period, eligibility criteria, and a list of eligible countries.
The Trump administration has proposed a rule to make passports mandatory for DV Lottery applicants, but this regulation is unlikely to take effect for the upcoming October application period due to the time required for finalization. It was the Trump administration that formally proposed this requirement last month, though the Biden administration had initially planned to introduce it last year.
Previously, in June 2019, the Trump administration introduced an interim rule mandating passports for DV applications. However, this was struck down by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Kelly, who ruled that the regulation was implemented without following proper procedures. Notably, Judge Kelly was appointed by President Donald Trump. Following the court’s decision, the U.S. Department of State issued a final rule in 2022, eliminating the passport requirement.
The current Trump administration is now working to reinstate the passport requirement, ensuring legal compliance. On August 5, 2025, the proposed rule was published in the Federal Register, with a public comment period open until September 19, 2025. However, with limited time before the DV 2027 application period, it is unlikely this rule will apply to the upcoming lottery.
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.
