Green Card Lottery 2026: US Releases Full List Of Countries Qualified For Diversity Visa

The United States government has released details of countries whose nationals participated in the 2026 Diversity Visa (DV-2026) programme, popularly known as the Green Card Lottery, with about 129,516 prospective applicants registered across six geographic regions.

According to information released on the programme, the Kentucky Consular Center in Williamsburg, Kentucky, conducted a random selection from 20,822,624 qualified entries submitted during the 37-day registration period between October 2 and November 7, 2024.

The Diversity Visa programme makes up to 55,000 immigrant visas available annually to eligible applicants from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States. However, the number of visas available for DV-2026 has been reduced to approximately 51,850 following deductions required under the Nicaraguan and Central American Relief Act (NACARA) and the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024.

Successful applicants are required to complete the immigration process within the designated fiscal year. For DV-2026, all eligible applicants must obtain their visas or adjust their status no later than September 30, 2026. Those who fail to complete the process before the deadline will lose the benefits associated with their selection.

The African countries represented among prospective DV-2026 applicants include Burundi, Ghana, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mali, Mauritania, Libya, Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, Tunisia, The Gambia, Malawi, South Africa, Benin, Gabon, Central African Republic, Angola, Niger, Guinea-Bissau, Comoros, Equatorial Guinea, South Sudan, Cabo Verde, Eritrea, Djibouti, Algeria, Egypt, Sudan, Morocco, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Kenya, Togo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Uganda, Liberia, Madagascar, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Mozambique, Eswatini and Mauritius.

Among the African countries with larger numbers of prospective applicants were Egypt with 5,527, Algeria with 5,457, Sudan with 5,226, Morocco with 3,670, Cameroon with 3,533, Kenya with 3,949 and Ethiopia with 3,287. Ghana recorded 1,642 prospective applicants, while Nigeria was not listed among the countries included in the figures provided.

In Asia, Afghanistan recorded 4,200 prospective applicants, followed by Iran with 4,137, Nepal with 3,933, Yemen with 2,449, Burma with 1,540, Sri Lanka with 1,028, Jordan with 1,092, Cambodia with 811, Syria with 624, Iraq with 616 and Saudi Arabia with 577, among others.

European countries with significant representation included Russia with 5,510 prospective applicants, Ukraine with 5,283, Uzbekistan with 3,754, Tajikistan with 3,708, Kyrgyzstan with 3,324, Turkey with 3,191, Kazakhstan with 2,723, Armenia with 2,639, Turkmenistan with 2,542, Azerbaijan with 1,817 and Georgia with 1,406. The United Kingdom recorded 1,303 prospective applicants.

In Oceania, Fiji had the highest number listed with 2,094, followed by Australia with 599 and New Zealand with 229. South American countries represented included Peru, Ecuador, Guatemala, Bolivia, Argentina and Trinidad and Tobago, among others. The Bahamas was the only North American country listed, with 23 prospective applicants.

Eligibility for the Diversity Visa programme generally requires applicants to have completed at least a secondary-school education or possess two years of qualifying work experience within the previous five years.

Applicants who are already legally present in the United States may also be eligible to seek adjustment of status through US Citizenship and Immigration Services, subject to meeting the applicable requirements.

The release has renewed attention on the Diversity Visa programme, which provides eligible individuals from qualifying countries with an opportunity to pursue permanent residence in the United States.