The 2025 U.S. Diversity Visa Lottery is Now Open!  - Fuller & Fuller LLP

The United States has long been hailed as the land of opportunity, a place where dreams can become reality.  For countless individuals around the world, the Diversity Visa Lottery represents a golden ticket towards this American dream. 

What is the Diversity Visa Lottery? 

The Diversity Immigrant Visa program, commonly known as the green card lottery, is a government initiative designed to grant U.S. Permanent Residence (green card) through a lottery system.  This program allocates 50,000 visas annually to candidates from nations with limited immigration rates to the United States, provided they possess certain educational qualifications.  It offers a cost-effective and comparatively uncomplicated route to obtaining a green card, without the requirement of sponsorship from a U.S. employer or family member. 

When does the application process start? 

The entry period for the Green Card Lottery 2025 is from 12:00 pm (EDT) on October 4, 2023, to 12:00 pm (EST) on November 7, 2023.  Throughout this period, an electronic form (Electronic Diversity Visa Entry Form or DS-5501) can be accessed on the Department of State’s official website.  Once the entry period ends, the form is removed from the website.  The results of the DV-2025 lottery will be available on the E-DV site as of May 4, 2024. 

Who can apply? 

For the first time in the history of the Diversity Visa Lottery, natives of the United Kingdom are eligible to register for the 2025 Diversity Visa Lottery.  To qualify for the Green Card Lottery, candidates must be a native of eligible countries.  Those born in nations with significant immigration rates to the U.S. are typically ineligible.  Additionally, applicants must hold a high school diploma (or its equivalent) or have at least two years of work experience in a field that requires at least two years of training or expertise within the last five years.  Meeting both the nationality and educational requirements is necessary to qualify for the Green Card Lottery.  

For DV-2025, natives of the following countries and areas are not eligible to apply: Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, The People’s Republic of China including Hong Kong SAR (Natives of Macau SAR and Taiwan are eligible), Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Korea (South Korea), Venezuela, and Vietnam. 

How to apply? 

The Electronic Diversity Visa Entry Form, also known as DS-5501, is electronically submitted through dvprogram.state.gov, and undergoes a random selection process.  Detailed instructions for the Diversity Visa program can be found at the following link: Diversity Visa Instructions. 

 For more information on the Diversity Visa lottery, please contact us at info@fullerimmigration.com or call at (212) 317-0700.