How the US Green Card Lottery Works: A Step-by-Step Plan for Participants and Winners

Author: Alina Bondarenko

Modified date: 18 June 2025

How the Green Card Lottery Works – Step by Step

1. What is the Diversity Lottery and How It Works

The easiest and most affordable way to move to the USA is by participating in the Green Card Lottery. Each year, the U.S. Department of State conducts a random selection of applicants for the DV (Diversity Immigration Visa) immigrant visa.

The “Diversity Immigrant Visa” or DV Program allows individuals to obtain the status of a U.S. permanent resident. Applicants born in countries with historically low immigration rates to the United States are eligible to participate in the lottery.

2. Participation in the Lottery from October to November

The lottery application period usually runs from October to November and lasts for only one month. The most important thing is to correctly fill out the participant form for yourself and your family members. You can watch the instructions on how to fill out the application in these videos:

3. Checking Results from May to September

For example, the results for the DV-2026 Green Card Lottery can be checked from May 3, 2025, through September 30, 2026. Each year, lottery participants check their entry numbers on the official website (https://dvprogram.state.gov/) to find out if they have become one of the lucky winners.

Important! The U.S. Department of State does not send winner notifications by mail or e-mail. Therefore, checking your status on the official website is the only valid method.

4. Filling Out Form DS-260

One of the most important steps for Green Card winners is completing the DS-260 Consular Electronic Application. This form requires you to provide all current information about yourself, your family, education, employment, and your plans for life in the U.S. A separate DS-260 must be submitted for each family member intending to immigrate together with the winner.

The outcome of your case depends on how correctly the form is filled out. Submit your application via this link: https://ceac.state.gov/ceac/

In our videos, a lawyer explains how to correctly fill out the form, avoid the most common mistakes made by winners, and answers frequently asked questions.

5. Receiving Confirmation from KCC

As soon as your DS-260 form is reviewed, you will receive a notification from the KCC stating that your case is ready and awaiting interview scheduling at the U.S. Embassy assigned to your case. If needed, you can request to transfer the interview to the country of your citizenship, birth, or residence.

List of U.S. Embassies and Consulates

6. Undergoing the Medical Exam

After you receive the interview appointment notification, you need to take a medical summary from your health records listing all previously received vaccinations and undergo a medical exam at a certified clinic, most often IOM. You must complete the medical exam and receive all necessary vaccinations before the scheduled interview date in order to receive your visa.
https://ua.usembassy.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/151/Med-Exam-UKR-01-03-20.pdf

https://ru.usembassy.gov/ru/visas-ru/immigrant-visas-ru/iv-medinfo/

You can find more information and answers to frequently asked questions about the medical exam in our videos:

7. Scheduling the Interview

Once the KCC reviews your application, you’ll be notified that the status of your case has changed. You need to visit the lottery results page, where you’ll find a notification with the date and time of your interview at the U.S. Embassy, along with the embassy’s address.

8. Preparing Documents and Getting Ready for the Interview

After all the previous steps, you’ll have your long-awaited interview at the Embassy. It’s important to prepare properly: stay calm and confident, and collect the required set of original documents that you will bring with you.

More details about preparing for the interview and gathering the original documents are covered in our videos by expert Yulia Golinevych:

9. The Interview

How does the interview go? What questions might you and your family be asked at the U.S. Consulate? What are common reasons for visa denial? Our expert answers these and other questions.

10. Receiving the Visa

If your interview is successful, the officer will give you a paper stating that your visa is approved and will take your passport to insert the visa. You will be informed how long it will take to get your visa. Along with the visa, you’ll receive a sealed envelope with documents that you must present to the border officer upon entering the United States. Do not open the sealed package.

To receive your Green Card, you’ll need to pay a fee of $235 for each family member. To avoid delays in document processing in the U.S., it is recommended to pay the fee before leaving for America. You can pay the fee online on the USCIS website; instructions will be provided along with your passport.

11. Receiving the Green Card in the U.S.

You must enter the United States and apply for admission no later than the visa expiration date printed on your visa. Usually, the visa is valid for up to 6 months from the date of your medical exam.

Upon arrival in the U.S., if you’ve paid the required fee in advance, your Social Security Number (SSN) and the actual Green Card will be mailed to the address you provided as your U.S. contact address.

In conclusion, the Diversity Visa Program, commonly known as the Diversity Visa Lottery or DV Lottery, offers a unique opportunity for individuals from eligible countries to apply during the registration period for a chance to obtain one of the limited visas available each fiscal year. Eligibility is determined based on factors such as country of birth and work experience, ensuring a fair and diverse selection of participants from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. Understanding the step-by-step process of the diversity immigrant visa program is essential for success, from registration through to final visa issuance. This lottery program remains one of the most accessible paths to lawful permanent residence in the U.S., helping thousands of winners and their families achieve their American dream each year.

Don’t want to do it yourself?

An immigration lawyer is here 🇺🇸

FAQ – TOP Frequently Asked Questions

There are no age requirements under U.S. law; the main thing is to meet the participation requirements. If you have completed high school and have a full secondary education, you can safely participate in the Green Card lottery. Note that by the time you apply, you must already have a high school diploma.

There is no such rule; the officer will likely see this information, it tells them something, but many applicants still receive a visa. So participation in the lottery does not mean you will never be granted a U.S. visa.

You can apply as many times as you like, even every year. Good luck 🙂

Briefly: fill out the DS-260 form, then wait for a request for scanned documents from the KCC, send the scans, pass the medical examination, prepare the documents for the interview, wait for the interview invitation, attend the interview, receive the visa, and move to the USA.

From October to November, and results are available in May of the following year.

Have your spouse apply as well.

Only spouse and unmarried children under 21 are listed.

No, you can update your family composition when applying for an immigrant visa after winning. Don’t worry if you didn’t list the child in the initial application because they weren’t born yet — you’ll be able to add them as a family member in CEAC and submit a DS-260 form for them, just like for other family members.

From May to September of the following year, you can check on the website by entering your information, birth year, and confirmation code. Make sure you have the code and haven’t lost it.

There’s no fixed deadline; you can go through the process even at the last minute. But you must obtain your visa by September 30 of the following year and enter the U.S. before the visa expires.

Interviews start on October 1 of the year you win. As for when you will be invited — that’s uncertain. This year, about 100 people have been invited so far.

You will most likely be disqualified, as this violates basic lottery rules. This is based on lawyers’ experience. There’s no official statistic, but the result will be revealed only at the interview.

The $235 fee is recommended to be paid before entering the U.S. If you pay it later, document processing may be delayed.

The humanitarian parole obtained through Uniting for Ukraine (or by crossing the border via Mexico) is not a status. Therefore, you cannot adjust status to a Green Card holder within the U.S. You will need to leave the country, attend an interview, get a visa, and re-enter with that visa to gain lawful status. As a Ukrainian citizen, you can have the interview in any convenient country (but not in the U.S.). Note: humanitarian parole is one-time. Once you leave the U.S., you lose it. If you fail to obtain a visa, you won’t be able to return under the same parole.

Yes, if you leave the U.S. for a long time (over a year), you may lose your status. However, this can be avoided by submitting special forms — our lawyer can help you with that.

List of required vaccines by age in table format.
Show the vaccine list to your family doctor, who will issue a summary based on your medical record. There are no strict rules for the format — usually, it’s an immunization card or another form showing your preventive vaccinations.
A flu shot is only required if your medical exam is during flu season — from October 1 to March 30 each year. If your exam is outside this period, a flu shot is not needed.

Don’t worry, you can change it:

During the interview — inform the officer of the new address,
At the U.S. border when entering the country.

There’s no single answer — it depends on the clinic where you’ll have your exam. Some clinics accept positive blood test results (IgG antibodies) for diseases like measles, rubella, mumps, chickenpox as proof instead of vaccination records. For chickenpox, proof of having had the disease may be enough. Check this in advance with your clinic.

Maybe, but it depends on when exactly your child turned 21. According to the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA), the age is adjusted using this formula:

Age at visa availability – Waiting time = CSPA age

For DV cases, visa availability is the first day your case is eligible for interview scheduling — when your number falls within the range shown in the DOS Visa Bulletin.
Waiting time = days between the start of the DV application period (for DV2024 – October 5, 2022) and the date selection results became available (for DV2024 – May 6, 2023).
USCIS Calculation Guidelines

After the interview date is scheduled, contact the U.S. Embassy where your interview will be and explain the situation. Wait for confirmation that your child can attend the interview and receive a visa. Otherwise, you risk wasting the $330 consular fee 🙂

Don’t want to do it yourself?

An immigration lawyer is here 🇺🇸

Useful Links

The main and only official Green Card lottery website
Lottery statistics on the U.S. government website
YouTube playlist with instructions for lottery winners
YouTube playlist with instructions for lottery participants
Largest Telegram communities for lottery winners:

Working in IT is not only about high salaries and career growth, but also a real chance to move to the USA. Below, without unnecessary fluff, you will learn what visas and migration programs exist for IT specialists, how they differ and how to get them.

Moving to the USA is a complex process that requires not only paperwork but also significant financial expenditures. If you plan to immigrate to the USA, it is important to plan your expenses in advance. In this article, we will detail how much it costs to move to America and what budget you should allocate for the first few months of living in a new country to make the adaptation process as smooth as possible.

Any questions left?
We are online – write to us
in any messenger

viber

messenger

How the US Green Card Lottery Works: A Step-by-Step Plan for Participants and Winners

How the Green Card Lottery Works – Step by Step

1. What is the Diversity Lottery and How It Works

2. Participation in the Lottery from October to November

3. Checking Results from May to September

4. Filling Out Form DS-260

5. Receiving Confirmation from KCC

6. Undergoing the Medical Exam

7. Scheduling the Interview

8. Preparing Documents and Getting Ready for the Interview

9. The Interview

10. Receiving the Visa

11. Receiving the Green Card in the U.S.

Don’t want to do it yourself?

FAQ – TOP Frequently Asked Questions

Don’t want to do it yourself?

Useful Links

Read more

Moving to the US for IT: Which Visa or Migration Program is Right for You? A Complete Guide

How Much Does It Cost to Move to the USA? A Detailed Guide for Immigrants

Any questions left?
We are online – write to us
in any messenger

How the US Green Card Lottery Works: A Step-by-Step Plan for Participants and Winners

How the Green Card Lottery Works – Step by Step

1. What is the Diversity Lottery and How It Works

2. Participation in the Lottery from October to November

3. Checking Results from May to September

4. Filling Out Form DS-260

5. Receiving Confirmation from KCC

6. Undergoing the Medical Exam

7. Scheduling the Interview

8. Preparing Documents and Getting Ready for the Interview

9. The Interview

10. Receiving the Visa

11. Receiving the Green Card in the U.S.

Don’t want to do it yourself?

FAQ – TOP Frequently Asked Questions

Don’t want to do it yourself?

Useful Links

Read more

Any questions left? We are online – write to us in any messenger

Any questions left?
We are online – write to us
in any messenger