US sets $1 fee for Diversity Visa Lottery entry

The U.S. Department of State has announced that a $1 electronic registration fee will be introduced for the Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery Program, starting October 16, 2025.

The DV Lottery, which grants up to 55,000 immigrant visas annually to applicants from countries with historically low immigration rates to the United States, has so far allowed free registration. With the new rule, all entrants will be required to pay the nominal fee when submitting their lottery applications online.

Purpose of the new fee

According to the State Department, the fee is designed to:

• Help recover administrative costs, including system maintenance, data processing, and security checks.
• Distribute costs more fairly across all entrants, instead of only those selected.
• Reduce fraudulent or speculative entries, which have been a persistent issue in the program.

What remains unchanged

• Selected applicants will still need to pay the existing $330 DV application fee.
• The number of annual visas issued under the program will remain capped at 55,000.

Financial impact

With an estimated 25 million entries each year, the State Department expects the fee to generate around $25 million annually to sustain the program.

Key details for applicants

• The $1 fee must be paid online through an official U.S. government portal.
• Payments will be non-refundable and cannot be transferred.
• Applicants are advised to use only official .gov websites to avoid scams or fraudulent agents.

This marks the first time in the DV Lottery’s history that a registration fee has been applied, signaling a shift toward user-funded visa processing in line with broader federal cost-recovery policies.