The U.S. Department of State has finalized a new rule that tightens the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, also known as the green card lottery. Under the rule, many applicants will need to provide valid, unexpired passport information and upload a scan of their passport when they submit their entry. The rule takes effect on April 10, 2026.

The government says the change is aimed at reducing fraud and improving vetting. In the final rule, the State Department said it found more than 2.5 million duplicate entries in the fiscal year 2025 Diversity Visa program, and argued that requiring passport information earlier in the process will make it harder for third parties to submit fraudulent or unauthorized entries.

The timing matters. Although the rule becomes effective in April 2026, the State Department says it plans to implement the passport requirement with the DV-2027 program. That means applicants may need to be ready for the next registration cycle.

Selection in the Diversity Visa lottery is only the first step. If you’re chosen, Boundless can help guide you through the green card application process that comes next. Check your eligibility today.

What the New Rule Changes

The biggest change is at the entry stage. The Diversity Visa entry form, Form DS-5501, will now require the principal entrant to provide passport information from a valid, unexpired passport and upload a scan of the passport’s biographic and signature page.

Key requirements include:

• A valid, unexpired passport at the time of entry
• A JPEG scan of the passport’s biographic and signature page
• A file size of 5 MB or less
• No PDFs allowed

The final rule also introduces several other regulatory updates:

• The form replaces “gender” with “sex.”
• One section replaces “age” with “date of birth.”
• The entry form reflects the new $1 Diversity Visa registration fee finalized in 2025.

Who May Be Exempt

The exemptions are narrow. According to the rule, they apply to:

• Stateless individuals
• Nationals of Communist-controlled countries who cannot obtain a passport
• Certain applicants granted an individual waiver approved by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the State Department

For most applicants, the practical takeaway is simple: you should expect to need a valid passport before entering the lottery.

Why the State Department Says This Is Needed

The State Department says fraud has been a persistent issue in the program. In the rule, the agency described cases where third parties submitted entries without an applicant’s knowledge and later demanded money for the confirmation number needed to continue the process.

Requiring passport information at the entry stage helps officials:

• Verify a person’s identity earlier in the process
• Detect duplicate or manipulated entries
• Confirm an applicant’s country of birth and eligibility
• Compare names across different spellings and alphabets

The government says a similar passport rule previously helped reduce abuse. During the years it was in place, the number of duplicate entries the State Department reported disqualifying was significantly lower than in FY 2025.

Concerns About Access and Fairness

Not everyone supported the change. Some public comments argued that requiring a passport upfront could make the lottery harder to access for people in:

• Low-income countries
• Rural areas with limited government services
• Conflict zones or politically unstable regions

In the final rule, the State Department acknowledged these concerns but said it still expects all available Diversity Visas to be used.

The agency also updated its estimate of how long the entry process may take. The final rule now estimates about 90 minutes per response, accounting for the time needed to gather passport information, scan the document, and upload it during the registration process.

What Diversity Visa Applicants Should Do Now

If you may want to enter the green card lottery, early preparation will be more important under the new rule.

Here are five practical steps applicants can take now:

1. Check your passport expiration date
   Make sure your passport is valid and unexpired. If it will expire soon, begin the renewal process early.
2. Prepare a clear passport scan
   The scan must be a JPEG file under 5 MB. Testing your scan in advance can help avoid last-minute problems.
3. Keep copies of your records
   Save your passport scan, confirmation page, and confirmation number after submitting your entry.
4. Confirm you meet eligibility requirements
   The passport rule does not replace the core DV requirements. Applicants must generally have:
   • A high school education or equivalent, or
   • Two years of qualifying work experience in the past five years.
5. Be prepared to pay the $1 registration fee
   A new $1 Diversity Visa entry fee now applies when submitting the lottery entry.

What This Means

For applicants, the rule adds a new step at the beginning of the Diversity Visa process. But unless the rule is delayed or challenged successfully, applicants should assume the passport requirement will apply starting with the DV-2027 lottery cycle.

Be sure your passport is valid and ready before the registration period opens.

{{cta-component-horizontal-aligned}}