The US has officially restarted the Diversity Immigrant Visa programme, which allocates Green Cards through a lottery system, introducing new regulations.
Key moments
On March 16, 2026, the United States announced the restart of its lottery system for a segment of Green Cards, officially known as the Diversity Immigrant Visa programme. This decision comes after a pause in the program, which has been a significant pathway for many immigrants seeking to live in the U.S.
The new regulations stipulate that applicants must now submit detailed information and upload a scanned copy of their passport during the initial application stage. This requirement is set to take effect on April 10, 2026, and will apply to the upcoming DV-2027 lottery. The DV programme allocates up to 55,000 immigrant visas each year, but with over 22 million people applying annually, the odds remain slim, with fewer than one in 400 applicants ultimately receiving a visa.
Historically, the DV programme has been a vital avenue for individuals from countries with lower immigration rates to the U.S., such as Ethiopia and Nigeria. Between 1995 and 2016, Ethiopia recorded the highest number of DV recipients at 65,224, followed closely by Nigeria with 58,500. In the DV-2025 lottery, Uzbekistan had the highest number of recipients, with 5,564 out of 2 million applications. However, applicants from countries with historically high immigration to the U.S., including Mexico, China, and India, are barred from participating in the DV programme.
The introduction of stricter rules comes in response to concerns regarding identity verification and systematic fraud within the lottery system. The passport requirement was initially introduced in 2019 but was struck down by a U.S. federal court in 2022. Individuals who fail to upload their passport details will face automatic disqualification from the application process, further tightening the eligibility criteria.
The DV programme has faced scrutiny in recent years, particularly after it was revealed that some winners were connected to incidents of terrorism and mass shootings, such as the tragic event at Brown University in 2017. This has prompted the U.S. State Department to reassess the program and implement measures aimed at enhancing security and vetting processes.
As the U.S. prepares to implement these new regulations, reactions from potential applicants and immigration advocates are mixed. While some view the changes as necessary steps toward improving security, others express concern that these additional requirements may further disadvantage those seeking a chance at a new life in America.
Details remain unconfirmed regarding how these changes will impact the overall number of applicants and the distribution of visas among different countries. However, the U.S. government remains committed to ensuring that the Diversity Immigrant Visa programme serves its intended purpose of promoting diversity and providing opportunities for individuals from underrepresented nations.
