The Diversity Visa lottery follows a yearly cycle: an entry period of at least 30 days, a results date that the Department of State sets each year (May 4, 2025 for DV-2026), interviews through the next fiscal year, and a hard deadline on September 30. As of the sources reviewed for this article, the Department of State had not published the entry dates for the DV-2027 program, so the exact dates must be taken from the official notice.
Quick answer
| Stage | DV-2026 example |
|---|---|
| Entry period | October 4, 2024 to November 7, 2024, noon Eastern time at both ends (about five weeks) |
| Results available | From May 4, 2025, in Entrant Status Check |
| Interviews begin | October 2025, for selectees whose paperwork is complete |
| Visa deadline | September 30, 2026 |
The DV-2026 dates come from the Department of State instructions for DV-2026. They illustrate the pattern and are not the dates for later years.
Entry period
The Department of State sets a registration window each year through a public notice, and the regulation requires a period of not less than 30 days. The same regulation says the Department gives timely notice of the website address and the exact dates through the Federal Register and other methods meant to reach people abroad and in the United States. For DV-2026 the window opened at noon Eastern time on October 4, 2024 and closed at noon Eastern time on November 7, 2024. Entries after the deadline are not accepted, and paper entries are never accepted. The Department advises entering early, because heavy demand near the end can slow the website.
One detail in the DV-2026 notice deserves a warning. The overview section and one answer in its question list print the years as 2023, while the question that states the entry period prints 2024. Because the printed years disagree, every date should be confirmed on the official entry site rather than on a copy of a notice.
Where the DV-2027 dates stand
The final rule published March 11, 2026 says the new passport and fee requirements apply with the DV-2027 program. In the same document the Department says it expects to defer the opening of the DV-2027 entry period, which it describes as a way to give people without a passport more time to get one. The rule does not give new dates. Because dates can change, any date that appears on a website other than the Department of State, including this one, should be treated as unconfirmed until it appears on dvprogram.state.gov or travel.state.gov.
Results
Results are not announced by mail or email. Entrants check Entrant Status Check with the confirmation number. For DV-2026 the tool was open from May 4, 2025, through at least September 30, 2026, and the Department advised keeping the confirmation number until the end of that period because additional selectees may be notified later, after May 4, 2025. The process is described in checking DV lottery results.
Interviews and the September 30 deadline
Interviews for DV-2026 began in October 2025 for selectees who had submitted all pre-interview paperwork. Appointment notices appear in Entrant Status Check four to six weeks before the interview. All selectees and their family members must receive visas by September 30 of the program year, or before the approximately 55,000 visas are used up, whichever comes first. Adjustment of status through USCIS must also be completed by that date, and the Department of State does not approve visa numbers or adjustments after midnight Eastern daylight time on September 30. There is no extension and no carry-over.
Step order from entry to visa (DV-2026)
The DV-2026 instructions describe the sequence below. Each step depends on the one before it, which is why the calendar matters.
- Submit one complete electronic entry during the entry period. The form must be finished in one sitting, because the system allows 60 minutes and discards partial entries.
- Print or save the confirmation screen, which shows the name and a unique confirmation number.
- From the results date, open Entrant Status Check with the confirmation number. This is the only place the Department notifies selectees and non-selectees.
- If selected, respond to the instructions shown there. The Kentucky Consular Center then processes the case until the selectee is told to appear at an embassy or consulate, or, for a selectee in the United States, until an adjustment of status application is filed with USCIS.
- Complete the online immigrant visa application (form DS-260) and the pre-interview paperwork requested in the instructions.
- Check Entrant Status Check for the appointment notice, which appears four to six weeks before the interview.
- Attend the interview, pay required fees to the consular cashier, and receive the visa before the fiscal year ends.
Fiscal year window for selectees
A DV-2026 selection is valid only in U.S. government fiscal year 2026, which runs from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026. Spouses and children who qualify through a DV-2026 selection can also receive visas in the diversity category only during that period. The Department encourages selectees to apply as early as possible once their rank numbers become eligible, and it states that the program ends as soon as all the visas have been issued, which could happen before September 2026. The Department also selects more than 55,000 entries, so there will not be enough visas for everyone who is selected. Selection does not guarantee a visa, an interview, or even the chance to apply.
A second example: DV-2019
The DV-2019 program shows that calendars can also be reset. The original DV-2019 notice set the entry period from October 3, 2017 to November 7, 2017. A correction notice moved it to October 18, 2017 through November 22, 2017 after a technical problem, and it also moved the first day of Entrant Status Check from May 1, 2018 to May 15, 2018. Interviews for DV-2019 were set to begin in October 2018, and the visa deadline was September 30, 2019. More detail is on the DV-2019 archive page. Those dates belong to that program year only.
How to plan around the calendar
- Gather the passport, photographs, and family details before the window opens. Starting with DV-2027, a passport scan and a $1 fee are also part of the entry.
- Enter early in the period.
- Save the confirmation number somewhere only the entrant can access.
- Set a reminder for the results date and check the official site directly.
- Keep access to the email account used on the entry. The DV-2026 instructions say it should remain accessible through May of the next year.
- If selected, respond promptly to the instructions, because visa numbers can run out before the fiscal year ends.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the entry period?
At least 30 days by regulation. DV-2026 ran for about five weeks.
Can an entry be sent after the deadline?
No. Late entries are not accepted.
When do selected entrants find out?
On the results date set by the Department of State, through Entrant Status Check. For DV-2026 that was May 4, 2025.
Do results carry over to the next year?
No. A selection is valid only for its own program year, which ends September 30.
Does selection guarantee an interview?
No. More than 55,000 entries are selected for 55,000 visas, so interviews are scheduled only as case numbers become eligible and visas remain available.
Related reading
- What changes for DV-2027 entrants
- Checking DV lottery results
- How the Diversity Visa lottery works
- DV entry form guide
About this guide
This website is for information only. It is not affiliated with the U.S. government, does not give legal advice or consultations, and does not offer application services. Entries are submitted only on the official entry site, and the current official instructions control, because rules change each year.
Last verified: October 2026. Sources: Department of State instructions for DV-2026; final rule published March 11, 2026.