DV-2026 Diversity Visa Lottery - Status, Cutoffs and Interview Guide

How to check your DV-2026 status

Go to dvprogram.state.gov, click 'Entrant Status Check', and enter the confirmation number from your DV-2026 entry along with the last name and year of birth. The system shows one of three results: SELECTED with a case number and region, NOT SELECTED, or your entry was never received.

Three rules:

• The status check is FREE. Never pay anyone to check your status.
• Scam emails claiming you have been selected are common - the State Department does not notify winners by email.
• Bookmark dvprogram.state.gov as the only official check page.

Current DV-2026 Cutoff Numbers for May 2026

From the May 2026 Visa Bulletin (DV-2026 numbers section):

If your case number is BELOW your region's cutoff, you are eligible to schedule your interview. If above, wait for the cutoff to advance in the next bulletin - published around the 8th of each month at our Visa Bulletin tracker.

June 2026 update: Nepal Asia cutoff rose by 1,000 from May to June. Egypt continues to be capped at 30,000 (the country-specific cap mid-Africa allocation).

Understanding your case number

Format: [Region Code][Year][Number]. Example: AF2026012345 means Africa region, fiscal year 2026, case number 12,345.

Region codes:

• AF - Africa
• AS - Asia
• EU - Europe
• NA - North America (Bahamas only)
• OC - Oceania
• SA - South America and Caribbean

Lower case numbers are scheduled for interview first. Your number is essentially your queue position within your region.

DV Interview: Complete Preparation Guide

Where: US Embassy or Consulate in your country of chargeability (usually country of birth). When: After the National Visa Center notifies you and your case number is current under the monthly Visa Bulletin. Duration: 15-30 minutes is typical.

Common DV interview questions you should prepare for:

• Did you submit the DV-2026 application yourself, or did someone else?
• What is your highest level of formal education?
• What work experience do you have?
• Do you have family already in the United States?
• Have you ever been denied a US visa?
• Where will you live in the US?
• Do you have a US sponsor?
• How will you support yourself and any dependents financially?

For a broader interview framework, see our Visa Interview Hub and the B1/B2 interview question patterns (DV interviews follow a similar format).

Required documents checklist

• Valid passport (6+ months validity beyond intended travel date)
• DS-260 immigrant visa application confirmation page
• Two passport photos (US specifications)
• Birth certificate (with certified translation if not in English)
• Police clearance certificates from every country lived in 6+ months since age 16
• Medical exam results from an embassy-designated panel physician
• High school diploma or equivalent OR 2 years qualifying work experience evidence
• Affidavit of Support (Form I-134) OR proof of self-sufficiency
• DV-2026 lottery confirmation page printout
• Marriage certificate (if applicable; with translation)
• Birth certificates for all derivative children
• Military records (if you served)
• Court records (if any criminal history)
• Adoption decrees, custody papers, divorce decrees (as applicable)

DV lottery fees

These fees are NON-REFUNDABLE even if your visa is denied. For context on the new $40 I-94 fee, see OBBBA immigration changes.

What if numbers run out before September 30?

The State Department warns annually: 'DV visa availability through the very end of FY-2026 cannot be taken for granted.' Translation: if all ~52,000 visas are issued before September 30, remaining selectees get nothing.

Who is most at risk:

• Selectees with higher case numbers - they are scheduled last
• Selectees from countries with sub-region caps (Egypt 30,000, Algeria 37,000, Nepal 11,000)
• Selectees who delay their DS-260 submission or interview scheduling

One unusual upside this year: the 75-country immigrant visa freeze has reduced DV demand from frozen countries, potentially leaving more numbers available for selectees from non-frozen countries.

If you have a low case number and have not completed your interview, act immediately. Submit your DS-260, gather documents, and schedule your medical exam this month.

DV lottery eligibility requirements

• Born in an eligible country (the list changes each fiscal year - countries with high US immigration are excluded)
• High school education or its equivalent (12 years of formal primary and secondary education)
• OR 2 years of qualifying work experience in the past 5 years - must be O*NET Job Zone 4 or 5 occupations
• No criminal disqualifications (most felonies, drug trafficking, terrorism, security threats)
• No prior visa denials on specific inadmissibility grounds (or proper waiver in hand)
• Chargeability normally based on country of birth, not citizenship - see consular processing mechanics
• Cross-chargeability available through a qualifying spouse from an eligible country

75-country freeze impact on DV-2026

DV applicants from the 75 frozen countries face additional complications. Consular processing is paused for those countries, which threatens DV interview scheduling.

That said, DV-2026 cases sit in a slightly different administrative bucket from employment- and family-based immigrant visas. Some embassies appear to be processing DV cases for nationals of frozen countries when case numbers are current; others are delaying. Guidance is inconsistent.

• If your case number is current AND you are from a frozen country, contact your specific US embassy and ask whether DV interviews are being scheduled.
• See related: Doctor green card exemption - the first formal carve-out from the freeze.
• Full freeze context: 75-country freeze report.

DV-2027: When to Apply Next

DV-2027 registration closed in November 2025; results were announced May 2026. DV-2028 registration is expected to open in October-November 2026.

• Apply for free at dvprogram.state.gov
• One entry per person per year - duplicates result in disqualification
• Apply early in the registration window (October typical opening)
• Spouses may submit separately and both can win (doubling family chances)

If you were not selected for DV-2026 but want a faster path to a US green card, see our best countries to work abroad guide for alternative destinations or the Eligibility Checker for a 60-second match across 34 countries.