The results of the U.S. Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery are scheduled to be announced on May 3, 2025, according to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs. Beginning at 12:00 noon ET, applicants will be able to check their status online. This eagerly awaited announcement will determine the fate of thousands of hopeful immigrants vying for one of the 55,000 diversity visas available for the 2026 fiscal year.
Winners of the DV Lottery will be eligible to begin applying for their visas starting October 1, 2025. However, they must complete the process and receive their visas by the end of September 2026. Under current U.S. law, those who fail to obtain their visas within this timeframe will automatically become ineligible—a strict deadline that underscores the urgency of the process.
Individuals who submitted their DV Lottery applications between October 2 and November 7 of the previous year can check whether they’ve been selected. The U.S. State Department advises DV-2026 applicants to retain their confirmation numbers at least until September 30, 2026.
To verify their status, applicants will need their confirmation number, last name, and year of birth, which must be entered on the official DV Lottery website. The State Department emphasizes that this website is the only legitimate platform for checking results, warning applicants to beware of fraudulent emails or messages claiming they’ve won, as scammers have increasingly targeted hopefuls in recent years.
The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, mandated by the U.S. Congress and administered annually by the State Department, was established under Section 203(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. It aims to provide an immigration pathway for individuals from countries with historically low rates of migration to the United States.
For fiscal year 2026, 55,000 diversity visas will be distributed across six geographic regions, with a cap ensuring that no single country receives more than 7% of the total visas in any given year. To qualify, lottery winners must meet simple yet stringent eligibility criteria, making the process accessible but highly competitive.
This year’s DV Lottery could potentially be the last, as speculation grows over its possible termination. In February 2025, Republican Representative Mike Collins introduced a bill in the U.S. Congress aimed at ending the Diversity Visa Lottery. The proposed legislation seeks not only to abolish the program but also to eliminate the ability of lottery winners to immediately sponsor family members for green cards. While the bill has not yet been passed, its introduction has fueled debate about the program’s future.
The DV Lottery has long faced criticism from some U.S. political figures, most notably former President Donald Trump. During his previous term, Trump repeatedly called for the program’s elimination, particularly after a deadly truck attack in Manhattan on October 31, 2017. The suspect in that attack, 29-year-old Sayfullo Saipov from Uzbekistan, had entered the U.S. through the DV program and killed eight people.
In the aftermath, Trump took to Twitter and other platforms to denounce the lottery, urging Congress to scrap it. He also endorsed the RAISE Act in 2017, a bill introduced by Republican Senators Tom Cotton and David Perdue that proposed drastic cuts to family-based immigration, the elimination of the DV program, and a shift to a merit-based system. Although the RAISE Act and a similar bill in 2018 failed to pass, the push to end the lottery persists.
The DV Lottery has offered a rare opportunity for people worldwide to secure U.S. permanent residency. For Nepal, the program has been transformative—over 57,000 Nepalis have obtained green cards through the lottery, accounting for more than 25% of all Nepali green card holders in the U.S. This places Nepal among the top countries globally for DV recipients.
In recent years, participation from Nepal has soared, with over 1 million Nepalis applying annually—a number that continues to climb despite temporary dips in years when passport requirements were introduced.
The program’s potential end would mark a significant shift in U.S. immigration policy, closing a door that has allowed tens of thousands of individuals from underrepresented nations to build new lives in the U.S. For now, applicants await the May 3 announcement with hope—and uncertainty—as the lottery’s fate hangs in the balance. Only time, and Congressional action, will determine whether this is indeed the final chapter for the Diversity Visa Lottery.
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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.
