The Diversity Visa 2025 program online registration period is open. The period opened on October 4, 2023, and continues through Tuesday, November 7, 2023, at 12:00 noon, Eastern Standard Time (EST). Only one entry is allowed per person during the registration period. If multiple submissions are received for a single individual, all entries for that individual are disqualified.
Each year, the Department of State administers the Diversity Immigration Visa Program, as required by Section 203 (c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. This allows for immigrants from countries with historically low U.S. immigration rates the option to apply for a visa. For Fiscal Year 2025, up to 55,000 Diversity Visas (DVs) will be available. There is no cost to register, however, individuals who are selected for an interview are required to pay a visa application fee prior to submitting their formal visa application. A consular officer determines eligibility for DVs.
Strict requirements apply for DVs. The Department of State selects individuals randomly through a computer drawing, selecting individuals from six geographic regions. No individual country can receive over 7% of available DVs in any given year.
For DV-2025, natives of the following countries and areas are not eligible to apply. Over 50,000 of these countries’ natives immigrated to the United States in the previous five years, eliminating them from the Diversity Visa program.
- Bangladesh,
- Brazil,
- Canada,
- The People’s Republic of China (including mainland and Hong Kong born),
- Colombia,
- Dominican Republic,
- El Salvador,
- Haiti,
- Honduras,
- India,
- Jamaica,
- Mexico,
- Nigeria,
- Pakistan,
- Philippines,
- Republic of Korea (South Korea),
- Venezuela, and
- Vietnam.
Natives of Macau SAR and Taiwan are eligible for the Diversity Visa 2025 program.
The following are newly eligible countries and areas:
- United Kingdom and its dependent territories.
No other changes to eligibility exist.
If you have questions about Diversity Visa 2025 or any other immigration-related issue, contact us at ILBSG. We actively monitor ongoing updates to U.S. immigration to ensure our clients get the right advice to maximize their odds of a successful outcome.