Timeline
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| October–November 2025 | DV-2027 registration, normally held in October, did not open; the State Department said dates would be announced “as soon as practicable” |
| December 2025 | The Diversity Visa program was paused by administrative action |
| December 23, 2025 | Issuance of DV-2026 visas stopped |
| August 28, 2026 | DV-2026 issuance resumed after a court injunction |
| September 30, 2026 | DV-2026 program year ended; unused DV-2026 numbers cannot be carried over |
| October 1, 2026 | DV-2027 registration still not opened; no DV-2027 selectees exist |
What the lottery is
The Diversity Visa program makes up to 55,000 immigrant visas available each year to people from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. Winners are chosen at random from online entries. A selection is not a visa: it only gives the right to apply, and a winner must still meet the education or work experience requirement, pass background and medical checks and complete the process before the program year ends.
The new rules for future entries
The State Department has announced two changes for the next registration:
- Passport required. Each entrant must upload the biographic and signature pages of a valid, unexpired passport. Until now a passport was not required at the entry stage, which allowed large numbers of duplicate or third-party entries.
- $1 entry fee. For the first time, each entry will cost $1 and the fee is not refundable. This is paid only on the official State Department site.
Other long-standing rules are expected to remain: one entry per person, a recent photo meeting the specifications, and the minimum requirement of a high school education or two years of qualifying work experience in the last five years.
Is Turkey eligible?
Countries that sent more than 50,000 immigrants to the US in the previous five years are excluded. Turkey has not been excluded in recent cycles and Turkish nationals have been among the largest groups of entrants and winners. Eligibility is set each year in the official instructions, so check the DV-2027 instructions when they are published. A person born in an excluded country can sometimes qualify through a spouse’s or, in limited cases, a parent’s country of birth.
If you won DV-2026
The DV-2026 program year ended on September 30, 2026. Visas cannot be issued and adjustment of status cannot be approved after that date, even if the delay was caused by the government pause. Some affected selectees have gone to court; if you were a DV-2026 selectee and your case was not finished, speak with an attorney promptly about any available litigation.
How to avoid DV lottery scams
- The only official site for entries is dvprogram.state.gov. The State Department does not send emails or messages telling you that you won; you check your status yourself with your confirmation number.
- Nobody can raise your chances of winning. Paid “application services” cannot do anything you cannot do yourself for the official $1 fee.
- Keep your confirmation number. Without it you cannot check results.
- Never pay anyone who claims to be from the US government to “secure” a DV visa.
What to do while DV-2027 is on hold
The lottery is one route among many, and it is the least predictable. Depending on your profile, other paths to a green card may be available:
- Self-petitioned EB-2 NIW for professionals with strong records
- EB-1A for people with extraordinary ability
- Family sponsorship through a US citizen or permanent resident relative
- Investment through E-2 as a stepping stone or EB-5
Our guide to 12 paths to a US green card compares them.
When to talk to a lawyer
- You were a DV-2026 selectee and your case was not completed before September 30, 2026.
- You won in the past and were refused.
- You are in the US on another visa and want to know whether you could adjust status if selected in a future year.
- You were married or divorced after entering, or left a spouse or child off your entry.
Talk to Yellow Law Group. We help DV selectees and families plan their green card options in Turkish and English. Book a free case evaluation.
Sources
- U.S. Department of State, Diversity Visa Program
- Official entry site
- INA § 203(c) (8 U.S.C. § 1153(c))
- VisaVerge, “DV-2027 Green Card lottery: status, DV-2028 and new rules,” September 26, 2026
- Nepyork, “DV-2026 cutoffs announced amid visa pause; DV-2027 registration still pending with passport requirement and entry fee,” May 14, 2026
This article is general information, not legal advice, and reflects the rules as of October 1, 2026.
