The U.S. Department of State has confirmed a delay in the opening of registration for the Diversity Visa (DV) 2027 program, which typically begins in the first week of October. The Department also indicated there will be changes to the DV entry process.
A spokesperson told NepYork, “The Diversity Visa (DV) program is established by statute, and the Department of State will continue to implement the program as required by law.” They added, “This year, there will be changes to the DV entry process.”
The Department of State has not yet released the official or tentative start and end dates for the DV-2027 registration period. “We will announce registration dates and other details when available,” the spokesperson said. The Department is expected to publish detailed information soon on its website, travel.state.gov, and in the Federal Register.
One of the confirmed changes is the implementation of a new $1 electronic registration fee. The spokesperson for the Department of State did not confirm that this new fee is the cause of the delay, nor did they confirm or deny that a government shutdown influenced the start date.
A final rule establishing the $1 registration fee for the DV Lottery was published in the Federal Register on September 16, 2025, and took effect the same day, with the public notified a day prior. This new fee must be collected electronically at the time of filing the DV application.
The Department explained the purpose of the fee: “The new fee for registration will more fairly allocate the costs of managing the random selection process to those who register. It will also help reduce speculative registrations by individuals seeking to exploit questionable potential entrants.”
Previously, the cost of operating the lottery was bundled into the $330 Diversity Visa application fee, which was only paid by those successfully selected for a visa. This new rule aims to “more fairly burden the individuals seeking access to the DV application process, instead of placing the costs of the lottery registration on all registrants.”
The Department estimates this fee will generate approximately $25 million in revenue. While the cost of the lottery operation has been removed from the DV application fee, the total $330 fee paid by successful applicants will not be immediately reduced. The government stated it plans to review and adjust the DV application fee in future model updates.
The annual Diversity Visa program, commonly known as the Green Card Lottery, makes up to 55,000 immigrant visas available each year. These visas are for people from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States. While the program itself is mandated by law, the Department of State manages the registration and selection process.
In a separate action, the Trump administration has proposed a rule to mandate a passport for all DV Lottery applicants. However, due to the time required for finalization, this passport rule will not be implemented this year. The proposed rule was published in the Federal Register on August 5, 2025, with a public comment period that closed on September 19, 2025.
The administration is currently working to re-establish the passport requirement while ensuring legal compliance, following a previous, unfinalized plan by the Biden administration to implement a similar rule.
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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.
