The DV-2027 diversity visa lottery has not opened as of late September 2026, delaying the entry period by nearly a year from its customary October 2025 start. The State Department announced it will disclose a registration date "as soon as practicable," but has provided no timeline, leaving millions of prospective applicants in a waiting period with no clear end.
For anyone planning to apply, this delay matters because the State Department has introduced new mandatory requirements that you must fulfill before you can enter. The longer the wait, the more time you have to prepare—but also the more time you lose if registration suddenly opens and you are not ready. DV-2026 applicants face a much more urgent deadline, and the broader diversity visa program is only recently back online after a months-long suspension.
Table of Contents
- When Registration Will Actually Open
- New Requirements You Must Prepare for Now
- Your Timeline After Selection (If You Win)
- What Happened to DV-2026 Applicants (and the Program Suspension)
- What to Do While You Wait
- Frequently Asked Questions
When Registration Will Actually Open
The State Department has not announced a start date for DV-2027 registration. As of late September 2026, the entry period remains closed with no public guidance on when applications will become available beyond the statement that dates will be announced "as soon as practicable." This represents an unprecedented delay—the lottery customarily opened in October of the prior year—and has left potential applicants unable to plan around a firm deadline.
The delay extends to both the registration period and the selection announcement. Normally, applicants register during a narrow window (typically a few weeks), selections are announced months later, and selected applicants then have one year to complete visa processing. With no registration date set, none of the subsequent milestones can be forecasted.
New Requirements You Must Prepare for Now
Two significant changes take effect with DV-2027, and both require action before you can apply. First, all DV-2027 applicants must now hold a valid passport and upload scans of its biographic and signature pages when they register, a new security requirement that took effect April 10, 2026.
If your passport is expired or missing, you will need to obtain one before registration opens—and passport processing can take weeks or months depending on your country. Second, DV-2027 carries a $1 non-refundable electronic entry fee, the first mandatory fee in the program's 30-plus year history. The fee must be paid at the time you submit your application. While the amount is nominal, it is not refundable regardless of whether you are selected.
Your Timeline After Selection (If You Win)
If you are selected in the DV-2027 lottery, your visa application window is fixed at October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. This means you have exactly one year from the announced selection date to complete all visa processing steps—interviews, medical exams, security clearances, and final approval—or you permanently lose your diversity visa eligibility with no appeal or extension option.
This window does not move. Whether you are selected early or late in the drawing process, whether you encounter processing delays at your embassy or face personal circumstances, the deadline remains September 30, 2027. Plan for longer processing times if you are applying from a country with high case volume or limited U.S. embassy capacity.
What Happened to DV-2026 Applicants (and the Program Suspension)
DV-2026 applicants now face an urgent constraint. The broader diversity visa program was suspended from December 23, 2025 to August 28, 2026, during which time the State Department issued no diversity visas at U.S. embassies worldwide, though applicants could still attend interviews. A federal court order ended the pause and visa issuance resumed on August 28, 2026.
For DV-2026 selectees, this suspension consumed critical time from their one-year window. DV-2026 applicants have a hard deadline of September 30, 2026 to complete visa processing, with no exceptions or extensions. Since the program only resumed visa issuance on August 28, 2026, DV-2026 applicants in the final interview or security-clearance stage faced compressed timelines. Any selection that does not result in visa issuance by September 30 expires permanently.
What to Do While You Wait
If you plan to enter DV-2027, use this waiting period to fulfill the new requirements before registration opens: Do not rely on third-party visa agencies or "lottery prediction" services to tell you when registration will open. The State Department will announce the date through its official website and embassy channels only.
- **Obtain or renew your passport.** Verify it is valid for at least the duration of your visa application window. Include enough blank pages for visa stamps.
- **Prepare high-quality scans** of the biographic and signature pages. Test them on your computer to ensure they are readable and properly oriented.
- **Verify your eligibility.** Confirm your country of birth is in an eligible region, your education or work experience meets the program's baseline standard, and you have no criminal history or immigration violations.
- **Keep your contact information current.** When registration opens, you will receive instructions by email. Any email address you provide must be one you can access reliably.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I apply for DV-2027 if my passport expires after I submit my application?
Yes, but your passport must be valid when you submit your entry form. If it expires during your visa application window (after selection), you will need to renew it during processing.
If I am selected, do I have to accept the visa immediately?
You have one year from the selection announcement date to complete visa processing. You do not have to move immediately, but your visa processing—interviews and medical exams—must be finished by September 30, 2027. After that date, your selection expires.
Will the $1 fee be refunded if I am not selected?
No. The $1 fee is non-refundable regardless of whether you win the lottery.
Should I wait to apply for DV-2027 if I am also pursuing other visa types?
No. Entering DV-2027 does not restrict your ability to apply for employment visas, family sponsorship, or other categories. You can pursue multiple visa pathways at once.