The United States Department of State has released the official list of prospective applicants selected for the 2026 Diversity Visa programme, registering roughly 129,516 entrants from more than 20.8 million qualified submissions. Selectees, including family members, must complete their visa or status adjustments before the September 30, 2026 deadline.
The annual lottery, widely known as the Green Card Lottery, makes permanent resident visas available to nationals from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States. Following required deductions under the Nicaraguan and Central American Relief Act and the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024, the effective cap for the 2026 programme stands at approximately 51,850 visas, down from the statutory maximum of 55,000.
Kentucky Consular Center Processes Millions of Entries
The random selection was handled by the Kentucky Consular Center in Williamsburg, Kentucky, which processed a staggering 20,822,624 qualified entries submitted during a 37-day application window running from October 2, 2024, to November 7, 2024.
The total registration figure of 129,516 prospective applicants intentionally exceeds the actual visa limit. Officials register more selectees than available slots to account for applicants who ultimately drop out or fail to meet eligibility requirements during consular processing.
Visas are distributed across six geographic regions, with explicit statutory rules dictating that no more than seven percent of the total available visas can be issued to natives of any single country.
Regional Representation and African Selectee Breakdown
Africa features prominently in the DV-2026 statistical breakdown released by state authorities, with numerous nations recording significant numbers of registered prospective applicants and accompanying family members.
Across West Africa specifically, 16 countries appear on the final list of registered selectees.
- Algeria — 5,457
- Benin — 1,064
- Burkina Faso — 252
- Cabo Verde — 35
- Côte d’Ivoire — 926
- The Gambia — 198
- Ghana — 1,642
- Guinea — 1,051
- Guinea-Bissau — 10
- Liberia — 1,593
- Mali — 268
- Mauritania — 261
- Niger — 109
- Senegal — 478
- Sierra Leone — 639
- Togo — 2,473
Other African nations also recorded substantial representation in the pool. Egypt led the continent with 5,527 registrants, closely followed by Sudan with 5,226, Morocco with 3,670, and Cameroon with 3,533. Kenya registered 3,949 prospective applicants, while Ethiopia recorded 3,287, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo logged 2,210.
Beyond the African continent, global registrations show broad participation. Russia registered 5,510 prospective applicants, Ukraine logged 5,283, Afghanistan recorded 4,200, and Iran reached 4,137. In Oceania, Fiji led its region with 2,094 selectees, while Peru topped South American listings with 1,596 registrants.
Strict Qualifications and the September 2026 Deadline
Selected applicants face a rigid timeline to secure permanent residency. The State Department urges all selectees to complete their paperwork immediately, as all visas and status adjustments must be finalized by September 30, 2026.
Any principal applicant, spouse, or child who fails to receive a visa or status adjustment before that strict cutoff will lose all benefits derived from their DV-2026 registration, with no extensions authorized under federal guidelines.
To qualify for the immigrant visa, principal applicants must satisfy baseline educational or professional criteria. Candidates must prove they hold at least a high school education or its equivalent, or possess two years of work experience within the past five years in an occupation that requires at least two years of training.
Applicants who are already residing lawfully inside the United States may apply to adjust their status through US Citizenship and Immigration Services rather than attending consular interviews abroad.
