The United States (U.S.) Department of State will release the results of the Fiscal Year 2026 Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery on Saturday, May 3, 2025.

Beginning Saturday, May 3, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. EDT (9:30 p.m. in Sierra Leone), applicants can check their status by visiting the official Entrant Status Check website at

dvprogram.state.gov

This is the only authorized platform to verify whether you have been selected.

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The entry period for the DV-2026 program closed on November 7, 2024. Individuals who submitted entries during that time are now eligible to check their selection status.

Important Reminders:

Selection in the DV Lottery does not guarantee an interview or the issuance of a visa.

The State Department does not send notifications to selected applicants via email, phone, or mail. Be cautious of fraudulent messages claiming you’ve won.

To check your result, use your confirmation number, last name or date of birth, and a randomly generated authentication code on the official site.

Checking Your Result

If you entered the FY 2026 lottery, the only reliable way to learn whether you have been selected is to visit the official website and enter the confirmation number of your entry, along with your last name or date of birth and a randomly generated authentication code. The State Department does not send direct notifications to lottery winners, so beware of emails, letters, or other communications that claim you have won the lottery; they are likely to be fraudulent.

Selected individuals will be guided through the next steps on how to apply for permanent residence in the United States. Those chosen are eligible to apply for an immigrant visa or adjustment of status during Fiscal Year 2026, which runs from October 1, 2025, to September 30, 2025.

The DV-2026 program included applicants from 34 African countries, including Sierra Leone, with varying numbers of registered individuals.

The Diversity Immigrant Visa (DV) Program, commonly referred to as the Green Card Lottery, offers up to 55,000 immigrant visas annually to foreign nationals from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States.