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What Is the DV Lottery? The US Green Card Lottery Explained

A plain explanation of the Diversity Visa program, known as the DV Lottery or green card lottery: how it works, what winners receive, and how many visas there are each year.

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The DV Lottery in short

The DV Lottery is the common name for the Diversity Visa Program run by the US State Department. It is also called the green card lottery, the US visa lottery and, in Arabic, al-qur'a al-amrikiya or al-hijra al-ashwa'iya.

Its aim is to give people from countries with low immigration rates to the United States a chance to immigrate. Winners are selected at random by computer from the eligible entries.

What does a winner get?

A selected entrant who completes the process and is approved receives an immigrant visa and then US permanent residence, known as the green card, together with the spouse and unmarried children under 21 listed on the entry.

A permanent resident may live, work and study in the United States and can later apply for citizenship once eligible.

How many visas are there and who is selected?

US law sets 55,000 diversity visas per fiscal year. The State Department selects more entries than there are visas because some selectees do not complete the process, so being selected does not guarantee a visa.

Visas are shared out between world regions, and no single country can receive more than 7% of the visas available in a year.

How the lottery works, step by step

The green card lottery goes through these stages:

  • Online registration opens once a year on dvprogram.state.gov.
  • You submit one entry only and keep your confirmation number.
  • Results are published on the official site, where you check yours with your confirmation number.
  • If selected, you fill in the DS-260 form, prepare documents and wait for your case number to become current.
  • You have a medical exam and an interview at the US embassy, and the visa is issued if you are approved.

Is the DV Lottery guaranteed or free?

Nobody can guarantee a win, and no office or website can improve your chances. Official registration has a government fee of $1, paid on the official site when you submit.

You can enter yourself, or use an independent service like ours to review your photo and details before submitting so your entry is not disqualified by a mistake.

Questions and answers

What is the difference between the DV Lottery and a green card?

The DV Lottery is one of the ways to get a green card, which is US permanent residence. The green card is the result; the lottery is one road to it.

Is the green card lottery the same as the DV Lottery?

Yes. Green card lottery, US visa lottery, DV Lottery and Diversity Visa Program all name the same program.

How often can I enter?

Once in every year that registration opens. Entering more than once in the same year disqualifies all your entries, but you can enter again in every later year.

Does being selected mean I will move to the US?

No. Selection means your entry was picked to continue. You must then prove your eligibility and pass the interview and checks before the visa is issued, and before the program's fiscal year ends.

Important notice, in plain words

Please read these facts before you start, so you can decide with full information.

  • This website is an independent private service. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or representing the US Government or the US Department of State.

  • The official entry on dvprogram.state.gov costs a $1 US government fee (non-refundable). You can enter yourself directly on the official website and pay only that $1.

  • Our 5.000 JOD fee covers only the help and submitting the entry on your behalf. The $1 government fee is passed through: we pay it for you when we submit and collect it from you, so you pay one total of 5.710 JOD.

  • Nobody, including us, can increase your chance of winning. The selection is entirely random.

  • Only one entry per person per year is allowed. Duplicate entries get you disqualified.

  • Results are published only on the official website. With the confirmation number we give you, you check them yourself.

dvprogram.state.gov — the official DV program website