US Green Card Lottery: Full List of Countries Whose Citizens Cannot Apply for 2026 DV Programme
- A major update has emerged for people hoping to secure a US Green Card through the Diversity Visa Lottery
- While thousands of hopeful applicants await their next steps, some nationals have been left out of the latest programme
- The countries affected and other important details have now been revealed
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The United States has excluded citizens of 19 countries from participating in the 2026 Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery, following official updates from the US Department of State.
The Green Card Lottery offers successful applicants an opportunity to obtain permanent residency in the United States.
Source: Getty Images
However, nationals of certain countries are barred from entering the programme because of the US government's geographic diversity rules.
More than 20 million valid entries were submitted during the 37-day registration period for the DV-2026 programme.
US authorities announce DV-2026 selection results
The selection process was overseen by the Kentucky Consular Center in Williamsburg, Kentucky.
According to official figures, 129,516 prospective applicants were registered as potential beneficiaries of the DV-2026 programme.
The figure includes principal selectees as well as their eligible spouses and dependants.
The applicants were selected from 20,822,624 valid entries submitted between October 2, 2024 and November 7, 2024.
For the 2026 fiscal year, which runs from October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026, the statutory allocation of 55,000 Diversity Visas has been reduced to approximately 51,850.
The reduction is due to deductions required under the Nicaraguan and Central American Relief Act (NACARA) and the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA).
Full list of countries excluded from DV-2026
Under the programme's rules, countries that have sent more than 50,000 immigrants to the United States over the previous five years are excluded from the Diversity Visa Lottery.
Citizens of the following 19 countries were therefore ineligible to participate in the DV-2026 programme:
- Bangladesh
- Brazil
- Canada
- China, including Hong Kong SAR
- Colombia
- Cuba
- Dominican Republic
- El Salvador
- Haiti
- Honduras
- India
- Jamaica
- Mexico
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Philippines
- South Korea
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
Key requirements for DV-2026 selectees
The Diversity Visa programme also has strict requirements to ensure that visas are distributed across different regions and countries.
No single country can receive more than seven per cent of the available Diversity Visas in a fiscal year.
Those selected must also meet the programme's education or work-experience requirements.
Applicants must have either a high school education or its equivalent, or at least two years of qualifying work experience within the previous five years in an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience.
Selectees who are already legally residing in the United States may apply to adjust their immigration status through the US Citizenship and Immigration Services.
DV-2026 deadline approaches
Applicants selected for DV-2026 must complete all required processing, submit the necessary documents and attend any required interviews before the end of the fiscal year.
All DV-2026 visa processing must be completed by September 30, 2026. Any benefits associated with the programme that remain unused after that date will expire.
The US Department of State is expected to release information about the registration period for the next Diversity Visa programme, DV-2027, in the coming months.
List of African countries selected for DV-2026
In a related development, YEN.com.gh earlier reported that the US had released the latest figures from its Diversity Visa programme, with several African countries featuring prominently on the list.
The figures revealed how applicants from across the continent had fared in the highly sought-after Green Card Lottery.
Successful candidates then faced important requirements and a strict deadline to complete the process.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
