The United States has finalised new rules for the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, commonly known as the Green Card lottery, introducing stricter identity verification requirements for applicants. The U.S. Department of State published the final regulation in the Federal Register under the title “Visas: Enhancing Vetting and Combatting Fraud in the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program.” The rule will take effect on April 10, 2026.

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/03/11/2026-04737/visas-enhancing-vetting-and-combatting-fraud-in-the-diversity-immigrant-visa-program

Under the updated regulation, individuals entering the visa lottery must provide information from a valid, unexpired passport as part of their electronic entry form. Applicants will also need to upload a scan of the passport’s biographic and signature page(s) when submitting their entry unless they qualify for a specific exemption.

Officials say the change is designed to strengthen identity verification and reduce fraudulent entries in the program. Read more: UAE travel update: 9 major airlines that issued latest guidance for DXB flyers

Why the US introduced the new rule

The Diversity Visa Program offers immigration opportunities to people from countries with historically low levels of immigration to the United States. Each year, up to 55,000 immigrant visas are made available through a computerised random selection process. However, authorities say the program has long faced challenges related to fraudulent entries, duplicate applications, and submissions made by third parties without the knowledge of the individuals involved. According to the State Department, requiring passport documentation will help ensure that lottery entries are tied to real individuals and will make it harder for agents or intermediaries to submit multiple applications using other people’s information. Officials have previously noted that organised schemes in several countries have involved submitting large numbers of applications on behalf of unsuspecting individuals.

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Passport upload requirement explained

Under the final rule, applicants entering the Diversity Visa lottery must include passport details and upload a digital scan of the passport’s biographic and signature pages when completing the online entry form.

The information required includes:

Passport numberCountry or authority that issued the passportPassport expiration dateA scanned copy of the passport’s biographic and signature page(s)Entries that do not include the required passport documentation may be disqualified. The regulation also provides limited exceptions. Individuals who are stateless, unable to obtain a passport due to government restrictions, or who receive specific waivers from US authorities may be exempt from the passport requirement.

Other changes to the DV program

The rule also introduces several technical updates to the program’s guidance and instructions.Among them, the State Department will replace the term “gender” with “sex” and substitute “age” with “date of birth” in order to better reflect the information collected in visa application systems.Officials say these changes are intended to improve consistency and accuracy in visa data collection.Read more: Sri Lanka’s Flower Boys: The unexpected experience delightfully surprising tourists

Implementation for upcoming applicants

According to the State Department, the new requirements will be implemented starting with the DV-2027 lottery. The department has delayed the launch of the DV-2027 registration period and has not yet announced the dates when entries will open. The Diversity Visa lottery program draws millions of applicants from around the globe annually, making it one of the most popular immigration options to the USA. With the latest rule now finalised, the applicants will have to make sure they have their passport ready while filling out their application, as the passport verification process is likely to become a major part of the application process for the Green Card lottery.