When Does the Green Card Lottery Start in 2026?

Diversity Visa Program is the official name of the Green Card lottery. This program offers an opportunity to win a Green Card and move to the United States permanently. Taking part in the lottery involves several preparatory steps. The first step is to check the countries eligible for the Green Card lottery in 2026. Please note that the list of countries is updated every year, so you should check it in advance. Eligibility is based on the applicant’s country of birth. If your country of birth is on the lottery’s list, you may submit an entry. There are also a few exceptions: for example, you may enter using your spouse’s country of birth. A parent’s country of birth may also qualify, provided that your parents were not permanently resident in the ineligible country where you were born.

The second step is to prepare your documents. A valid international passport is now required to take part in the lottery. Its details must be entered on the form when you submit your entry. At this stage, applicants must also provide information about their education. Participation requires at least a secondary school education or two years of work experience in a qualifying occupation. Documents confirming your education or work experience will be needed at the interview with a consular officer if you are selected. A photograph is required when submitting an entry for the Green Card lottery in 2025. You must upload it electronically. Follow the instructions on the official DV lottery website. You can have the photo taken at a studio or take it yourself at home. What matters is that it meets all the requirements.

The third step in entering the Green Card lottery in 2026 is to complete the entry form. This is a fairly standard electronic form (DS-550), completed online on the official website. It asks for the applicant’s personal details, including full name, country of birth and date of birth. You also provide information about your marital status, family members, education, employment and professional experience. Every Green Card lottery participant must complete the DS-550 form. After completing the form, you reach the final, fourth step: confirming your registration and saving your personal number. Your entry will be processed and registered, and you will receive a special confirmation number. This is very important: keep the number safe, as you will need it to check the lottery results.

Registration for the Green Card lottery usually takes place in the autumn. Entries are accepted for an entire month, rather than on a single day. The exact registration dates will be published on the official DV lottery website. Based on previous years, the approximate entry period for the Green Card lottery in 2026 is expected to be from 4 October 2026 to 7 November 2026. The opening time will also be specified, for example 7 p.m. Moscow time. Please note that the announced entry period is final. You cannot submit your form early or register after the entry deadline. There are no exceptions. The same deadlines apply to all applicants, so check them carefully.

Please also remember that registration for the Green Card lottery in 2026 takes place exclusively on the official website (https://dvprogram.state.gov). Entries submitted through other online portals are not considered or accepted. If you submit your entry yourself, be aware that many scammers online try to deceive applicants. There is only one official entry registration fee, and it is just $1. The U.S. Department of State aims to make the lottery accessible to as many participants as possible, which is why the fee is nominal. If someone asks you to pay a different amount for the DS-5501 form, they are scammers. If you need help submitting an entry, use a professional, trusted agency.

The DV program aims to increase the diversity of the U.S. population. Through the Green Card lottery, the U.S. government attracts people from around the world who wish to immigrate. However, not all foreign nationals can take part. Each year, the U.S. Department of State publishes a list of eligible countries. Changes to this list are generally rare, and it is usually published unchanged. The lottery is open only to countries with relatively low levels of immigration to the United States. If a country already accounts for a large flow of immigrants, it will not be included in the lottery, as there is no need to increase immigration from that country. Russia has traditionally been eligible for the Green Card lottery.

This year is no exception: Russian citizens can take part in the Green Card lottery in 2026. Many other countries are also included, such as Kazakhstan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Romania and Moldova. However, to submit an entry, you must have been born in one of the eligible countries. It is your country of birth that counts. If your country of birth is not eligible, you may use your spouse’s country of birth. In that case, if you are selected, both spouses must apply for immigrant visas. You may also use the country of birth of one of your parents, provided that your mother or father was not permanently resident in your country of birth and did not hold its citizenship or a residence permit. Their stay there must have been temporary and short-term.

You have decided to enter the Green Card lottery in 2026. The DV lottery is a legal route to moving to the United States: you obtain an immigrant visa and then a Green Card. At first glance, the process seems simple: submit an entry and wait for the result. Many people who wish to move to America choose this route to obtaining a Green Card. Before submitting your entry, however, think about the outcome you want. Are you entering just to try your luck, or do you really want to be selected? Remember that success is not only a matter of luck. The system assesses participants against a range of criteria. Any mistake, even a minor one, may lead to disqualification. If you do not want to waste your time, consider all the risks of submitting a lottery entry yourself.

First, beware of scammers. Remember that lottery registration requires a fee, but the fee is only $1. If someone asks you to pay a different amount, do not continue dealing with them, even if they claim to be official intermediaries. Unfortunately, there are many fake websites, fraudulent online forms and other ways to deceive applicants. Registration takes place only on the official website. Second, assess whether you meet the Green Card lottery requirements for 2025. The DV program has specific eligibility criteria, and the challenge is that you must assess them yourself. These include your country of birth (or your spouse’s or parents’ country of birth), education level and work experience. Make sure you understand the requirements and provide the correct information.

If you do not meet the DV lottery criteria or describe your circumstances incorrectly, you will be disqualified. Even selected entrants can be excluded from the program when their documents are reviewed in more detail. Third, be prepared for technical problems on the website. Green Card lottery registration lasts a month, during which a huge number of applicants visit the program’s website. Heavy traffic often causes technical issues and interruptions. As a result, many applicants make mistakes when completing their forms: information may not be saved, details may be omitted or the wrong box may be selected. Any typo in the DS-550 form can cause an entry to be rejected. You cannot correct it, provide an explanation or send additional information. The entry simply does not take part in the draw.

Fourth, take the photograph seriously. Taking a photo and uploading it to an online form may seem easy. However, a participant’s photograph for the Green Card lottery in 2026 must meet a range of requirements, from technical specifications to background colour. Entry processing is fully automated: the system identifies and removes forms that do not meet the requirements. The entry form also remains important after the results are announced. Unfortunately, selection does not guarantee an immigrant visa. If an error was made during registration, such as incorrect information or an unsuitable photo, the selected entrant will be disqualified. This is why it is so important to consider every detail and follow the lottery rules carefully.