Recent Changes to the Diversity Visa Lottery

What Is the Diversity Visa Lottery? Since 1995, the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (aka Green Card Lottery) has awarded up to 55,000 immigrant visas annually—out of many millions of entries—to individuals from underrepresented countries with low immigration rates. The program is overseen by the U.S. Department of State and, as its name implies, was designed to make the U.S. immigrant population more diverse. How Does It Work? Eligible applicants register online during a limited registration period (typically 4–5 weeks in the fall). If selected in the lottery, each applicant must still:

• Meet all legal criteria.
• Submit an application, along with supporting documentation.
• Pass all background checks and security screenings.
• Pay a $330 application fee.
• Attend and pass an interview at a U.S. consular post abroad.

Who Can Participate in the Lottery? To participate, applicants must:

• Be born in a qualifying country (the list of countries is determined each year based on recent immigration rates).
• Have a high school diploma or two years of qualifying work experience.

What Are Recent Changes to the Green Card Lottery and Why Are They Being Implemented Now? President Trump is on record for disliking the program as not being merit-based and as encouraging immigration from countries his administration considers unsafe or undesirable. While the Trump administration lacks the power to eliminate the program without approval by Congress, it has recently introduced changes that may appear minor but are expected to make participation in the lottery much harder for millions of lower-income individuals:

• A proposed rule from August 2025 would require individuals to upload a scan of their valid, unexpired passport biographical page to participate in the lottery. There are limited exceptions (e.g., for stateless persons).
• A final rule, effective September 16, 2025, implements a $1 fee to register in the lottery (in addition to the existing $330 visa application fee).

The Green Card lottery has a history of issues with identity fraud, duplicate entries, and abuse by third-party agents, all to the detriment of real applicants. However, while an up-front passport requirement and payment of a nominal entry fee may help decrease incidents of fraud, these new requirements will also increase the hurdles for many participants in countries where the passport application process is particularly lengthy and expensive.