The Diversity Visa Program allows people from countries with low US immigration rates, who meet eligibility requirements, to enter for a chance to apply for a U.S. immigrant visa. The 2025 Diversity Visa Program (DV-2025) is open from October 4 to November 7, 2023.

The entry submission period for DV-2025 is from 12:00 PM EDT (GMT – 4) on October 4, 2023 to 12:00 PM EST (GMT -5) on November 7, 2023. The entry form will only be available for submission during this period only. Entries will not be accepted through the US Postal Service.

For Fiscal Year 2025, up to 55,000 Diversity Visas (DVs) will be available. There is no cost to register for the DV program, but selectees who are scheduled for an interview will be required to pay a visa application fee prior to making their formal visa application where a consular officer will determine whether they qualify for the visa.

Applicants who are selected in the program (selectees) must meet simple but strict eligibility requirements to qualify for a DV.  The Department of State determines selectees through a randomized computer drawing.  The Department of State distributes diversity visas among six geographic regions, and no single country may receive more than seven percent of the available DVs in any one year.

For DV-2025, natives of the following countries and areas are not eligible to apply, because more than 50,000 natives of these countries immigrated to the United States in the previous five years:

Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, The People’s Republic of China (including mainland and Hong Kong born), Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Korea (South Korea), Venezuela, and Vietnam.

With the exception of the United Kingdom and its dependent territories, which are now eligible for DV-2025, there were no changes in eligibility from the previous fiscal year.