US 2026 Diversity Visa: Green Card Opportunity for Indians

The United States has commenced online registrations for the Fiscal Year 2026 Diversity Visa (DV) lottery, offering a chance for foreign nationals, including Indians, to apply for a green card. Interested individuals must submit their applications by noon EST on November 5, 2024. The program will allocate up to 55,000 green card numbers through a random selection process, with results announced in May 2025.

To qualify for the DV lottery, applicants must be from countries with low immigration rates to the U.S. This year, nationals from several countries, including India, are ineligible. However, applicants may still qualify if they have a spouse from an eligible country or can claim eligibility through a parent. Additional requirements include having a high school diploma or two years of relevant work experience in the past five years.

The registration process is conducted online through the official DV lottery website, where applicants must complete a form and upload a digital photo. Each applicant can include their spouse and children in the submission, but only one entry per individual is permitted, as multiple entries will lead to disqualification. Upon submission, applicants will receive a confirmation number to check their application status.

Winners will be randomly selected via a computer system, and results will be available starting May 3, 2025. Participants can check their lottery results on the official DV lottery website until September 30, 2026.