This year, the results of the DV-2021 Green Card Lottery have been delayed because of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.  Normally released by May 5, this year the results are expected to be announced on June 6, 2020 instead. With an intention to curb the spread of Coronavirus, USCIS offices and field offices had shut down its in-person services and 13,000 employees were asked to work remotely. The latest announcement is for USCIS offices to resume regular functioning starting June 4, 2020. This coincides with the announcement of winners selected in last year’s DV-2021 green card lottery.

Green Card Processing

While the announcement of the results is postponed by a month, the processing of the green cards for the selected applicants will continue as per schedule and starts on October 1, 2020.

Diversity Immigrant Visa Program

Officially called the Diversity Immigrant Visa program, this Green Card Lottery program allows for citizens of certain countries to participate in a random lottery to receive permanent residency within the US. Every year, the US State Department releases 55,000 immigrant visas to applicants from countries with a low number of immigrants in the previous five years. This allows for diversity among immigrants to the US and is separate from the green cards allocated for employment and family based visas issued each year.

Total Number of Applicants in DV-2020 – 23,182,554 

Total Number of Applicants selected in DV-2020 – 83,884

Countries that Qualified for DV-2021 Lottery

• Ecuador
• Peru
• Poland 
• Russia
• Taiwan

Countries that Did Not Qualify to apply for DV-2021 Lottery

• Bangladesh
• Brazil
• Canada
• Mainland China 
• Colombia 
• Dominican Republic 
• El Salvador
• Guatemala
• Haiti 
• India 
• Jamaica
• Mexico
• Nigeria 
• Pakistan
• Philippines
• South Korea
• United Kingdom, not including Northern Ireland 
• Vietnam 

Countries that have Never Qualified for Green Card Lottery since 1995

• Canada
• China
• Dominican Republic
• El Salvador
• India
• Jamaica
• Philippines
• South Korea
• UK
• Vietnam

How to check for if you were selected in the Green Card Lottery

• This year, starting June 6, 2020 applicants can check the status of their entry on the State Department’s website starting at noon. 
• You should enter your unique confirmation number and personal information on the Entrant Status Check tab.
• If selected, verify your immigrant visa interview appointment date. 
• This is important since this is the only way to find the results. The State Department does not notify applicants through email or direct mail. 
• DV-2020 Entrants have until September 30, 2020 to check the status of their entry through this website. 
• It is important that all applicants retain their confirmation number until September 30, 2021.

Important Dates for DV-2022

Applications for Diversity Visa Lottery-2022 will be accepted until November 6, 2020 and the lottery will be conducted on March 1, 2021. The selected winners will be tentatively announced on May 5, 2021.

Stay tuned to this page for all updates regarding the green card lottery for the Diversity Visa Lottery program.