The annual Diversity Visa Program has opened for fiscal year 2026 and will close on November 5. Each year, the program uses a computer-based lottery system to offer 55,000 visas to applicants from countries considered to be underrepresented compared to the countries of origin of other successful immigrants to the United States.
The program stems from a long-standing belief that there is economic and cultural value in making sure that America’s immigrant population is itself diverse. Most people immigrate to the United States through work or family ties, which historically means that the immigrant population has been dominated by Europeans for a long time, and immigrants from India, China, Mexico and Central American countries in recent years. The goal of the Diversity Visa Program is to bring more countries into the immigration mix and to invite people who do not have the work and family ties to the country.
Because of changes in immigration patterns, applicants from some countries are not eligible this year. More than 50,000 successful immigration applications from each the following countries over the last five years has led to their exclusion from this year’s Diversity Visa lottery:
“Winning” the lottery is not, however, a free pass around the immigration system. The country of origin is important, but the applicant must also have at least 12 years of elementary and high school education or its equivalent, and at least two years of work experience in the last five years. The applicant also has to successfully go through the same screening processes that other visa applicants face.
If you know someone you think might benefit from the Diversity Visa Program, contact an experience immigration attorney for advice.
Are you having legal issues with Immigration? Do you need legal representation?
