Diversity Visa Lottery Winners FY 2025

The U.S. Department of State has announced the winners of the 2025 Diversity Visa lottery. Out of the millions who entered last year’s lottery, 55,000 applicants have been selected to apply for permanent resident status.

What is the Diversity Visa (Green Card) Lottery?

The DV lottery (Diversity Immigrant Visa Program) is an opportunity for foreign nationals from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the U.S. to obtain a green card and permanent residency in the U.S. The program is often used by applicants who otherwise would not have a path to legal immigration in the United States. The entry process is simple — applicants fill out an online form and there is no fee to enter.

What is the Diversity Visa Lottery?

To check if they’ve been selected, entrants should visit the “DV Entrant Status Check” portal on the State Department website. On the site, foreign nationals can enter the confirmation information they received when registering for the visa lottery to check their status.

 What winning the DV lottery means (and what it doesn’t)

Being selected in the lottery does not guarantee an applicant will be approved for a green card — it simply means they are eligible to apply for a diversity visa.

If selected, applicants must complete the green card application process to prove they are admissible to the U.S. The process itself includes filing Form DS-260 (the online immigrant visa application), attending a visa interview at a U.S. Embassy or consulate, and paying any required government filing fees. 

Act quickly

Selectees are encouraged to start the application process as soon as possible, as all of the diversity visas available this fiscal year must be issued no later than September 30, 2025.