DV Lottery 2027 Update: U.S. Adds Registration Fee for the First Time

What is the Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery?

The Diversity Immigrant Visa (DV) Program, also called the Green Card Lottery, is a U.S. government program that makes up to 55,000 immigrant visas available each year. Its purpose is to diversify the immigrant population in the United States by selecting applicants from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the U.S.

Who runs it?

The program is run by the U.S. Department of State, specifically through the Bureau of Consular Affairs. The Department manages the online registration system, conducts the random computer-based selection, and issues instructions to selected applicants.

When is it run?

• Registration typically opens once a year in the fall, usually in October, and remains open for about 30 to 35 days.
• Results are usually released the following May, with selected applicants invited to continue the immigrant visa application process.
• Each lottery is held for a specific fiscal year, but applicants apply almost two years before the visa year begins. For example, registration in October 2025 will be for the DV-2027 program.

What’s changing

• The Department of State is adding a $1 registration fee for entering the Diversity Visa (DV) lottery.  
• The Diversity Visa Application Fee remains at $330.  
• The Department is revising its regulations so that this $1 registration fee must be collected at the time of registration, before submission and completion of the lottery registration.  
  

Why this is being done

• To shift part of the cost of running the DV lottery (system maintenance, security, data storage, selection processes, etc.) away from only those who win or are selected and toward all applicants. That spreads the cost more fairly.  
• To help reduce illegitimate or speculative registrations.  

Legal authority & implementation

• The authority comes from statute (8 U.S.C. § 1153, etc.) which allows the State Department to collect a “Diversity Immigrant Lottery Fee.”  
• Additional general authority comes from laws authorizing cost-based consular fees and user charges (e.g. 31 U.S.C. § 9701).  
• The rule is effective September 16, 2025, and the fee will be collected through an authorized U.S. government electronic payment portal.

When will the Department of State implement this rule?

The Department intends to implement this rule 30 days after date of publication.

The effective implementation date is October 16, 2025.

Financial impacts & estimates

• Expected volume of registrations: ~25,000,000 annually.  
• Estimated revenue from the new $1 registration fee: about $25,000,000 per year.  
• The application fee (for those selected in the lottery) will remain the same so no immediate change there.  

The official name of the rule in the Federal Register is:

“Schedule of Fees for Consular Services, Department of State and Overseas Embassies and Consulates—Visa Services Fee Changes.”

🔗 Read the full rule here

Conclusion
The new $1 Diversity Visa Lottery registration fee marks a historic change in how the program is run. While the application fee remains unchanged at $330 for selected entrants, every registrant will now share in covering the costs of administering the lottery. For future applicants, it is important to plan ahead, understand these changes, and submit registrations only through the official U.S. government website.

If you or your family are considering entering the DV Lottery or need guidance on U.S. immigration options, professional legal advice can make a difference.

Written by Attorney AK Poku (Akua O. Aboagye), of AK Poku Law

📍 AK Poku Law represents clients in all 50 states in the United States and worldwide on all U.S. immigration matters

Contact AK Poku Law today for a consultation on your immigration journey.

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