The U.S. Diversity Visa (DV) 2027 registration period has been delayed by more than six months, but when it opens, applicants will face a major new requirement: providing valid passport details during registration.
The U.S. Department of State implemented the rule on April 10, aiming to reduce fraudulent entries and ensure only genuine applications are submitted for the lottery-style program known as the green card lottery.
Under the final rule, published as Public Notice 12948 in the Federal Register, participants must provide information from a valid, unexpired passport—including the serial number, name, country of issuance and expiration date—and upload a JPEG scan of the biographic and signature pages with their electronic entry form (DS-5501). The regulation amends 22 CFR Part 42 and applies beginning with the DV-2027 program year.
Limited exemptions apply for stateless individuals, certain nationals of Communist-controlled countries unable to obtain passports, and those granted waivers on a case-by-case basis.
The U.S. Department of State said the updated requirement will help curb widespread fraud. During the DV-2025 cycle alone, the Department identified more than 2.5 million duplicate or fraudulent entries, often generated by third-party operations in countries such as Bangladesh, Ukraine, and Cambodia. In previous instances, criminal networks submitted entries without applicants’ consent and later demanded large sums of money—or even sham marriages—from those selected.
Requiring verified passport details and scans during registration makes unauthorized submissions far more difficult, according to the State Department. The measure also allows earlier identity checks, improved national security vetting and better verification of country eligibility under the Immigration and Nationality Act’s section 203(c).
A similar passport rule was active for DV-2021 through DV-2023, when officials recorded far fewer duplicate entries than in years without the requirement.
The rule also includes several technical updates: changing “gender” to “sex” to align with Executive Order 14168, replacing “age” with “date of birth” for accuracy, and standardizing language with “shall” to clarify instruction for consular officers.
Separately, a new $1 entry fee has been finalized to help cover program costs and deter frivolous submissions.
The Department received 399 public comments on the proposed rule, published Aug. 5, 2025. A majority supported the passport requirement, citing benefits such as reduced identity theft and higher program integrity. Some opposed it, voicing concern about accessibility in low-income or conflict-affected regions, privacy risks from passport scans and potential legal vulnerability—referencing a 2019 court ruling that overturned a similar interim rule.
In its responses, the Department said exemptions will account for hardship cases and emphasized that selectees must present valid passports anyway when applying for visas under INA 222(b). Officials also adjusted the estimated time burden for completing the DV entry form to 90 minutes to include scanning and uploading tasks.
Historical data show entries fluctuate under the passport rule—ranging between 6.7 million and 9.6 million compared with roughly 23 million in DV-2024—but the State Department expects all 55,000 annual diversity visas to be fully utilized.
The regulation does not change basic eligibility requirements, which still call for applicants to be natives of qualifying low-admission countries and to meet minimum education or work experience criteria. Entrants must submit photos meeting detailed specifications and pay the $1 fee when registration opens. The Department said updated application instructions will be issued ahead of the DV-2027 cycle.
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.
