DV-2027 Green Card Lottery Registration Delayed, First-Ever Fee Confirmed

 The U.S. Department of State has confirmed a delay in the opening of the Diversity Immigrant Visa (DV) program for the DV-2027 cycle, widely known as the Green Card Lottery. Typically, the registration period begins in early October, but officials have pushed the start date back, advising millions of hopeful applicants to monitor official government channels for the new schedule. A significant new detail for this year is the introduction of a non-refundable $1 electronic registration fee, the first time in the program’s history that there will be a cost to enter.

The Diversity Visa program offers up to 55,000 immigrant visas annually to individuals from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States. The program aims to promote diversity within the U.S. immigrant population by distributing visas across six geographic regions. Hopeful applicants are randomly selected by a computer-generated drawing after the registration period closes.

To qualify for the DV-2027 lottery, applicants must meet two strict requirements. First, they must be a native of an eligible country, with the list of included countries updated annually. Countries with more than 50,000 immigrants to the U.S. over the past five years are excluded. The second requirement is to possess either a high school education or two years of qualifying work experience within the past five years.

The application process is conducted entirely online through the official U.S. government website, dvprogram.state.gov. It is crucial for applicants to submit only one entry, as multiple submissions result in automatic disqualification. The application asks for personal information about the entrant, their spouse, and all unmarried children under 21. For the first time, applicants will be prompted to pay a new $1 electronic fee before their submission is finalized. A unique confirmation number is provided upon submission, which is critical for applicants to keep. The Department of State will not contact selectees directly, and applicants are responsible for checking their status online using this number.

The delay is thought to be related to the new fee. A final rule establishing the $1 electronic fee was published in the Federal Register on September 16, 2025, with an effective date roughly 30 days later. The new payment system's implementation across the official website is believed to be the cause of the late start. The Department of State has emphasized that the official dates will be "widely publicized in the coming months".

Winning the lottery does not guarantee a visa. It only means the entrant is eligible to continue the visa application process. Selectees must then proceed with additional steps, including submitting a formal immigrant visa application, attending an interview, and undergoing background checks. Because more applicants are selected than there are visas available, those selected must act quickly to complete their processing before the end of the fiscal year, or they lose their opportunity.

In light of the delay and new fee, the Department of State has reminded applicants to use only the official website for submissions and to be wary of fraudulent websites or scams.