The United States has introduced stricter rules for the Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery, commonly known as the Green Card lottery, requiring applicants to submit detailed passport information during the application process. The change is part of a broader effort by US authorities to improve identity verification and reduce fraud in the immigration system.
The Diversity Visa programme offers up to 55,000 immigrant visas each year to applicants from countries with relatively low immigration levels to the United States.
Passport Upload Now Required for Lottery Entry
Under the new rule issued by the US State Department, individuals entering the Diversity Visa lottery must provide details of a valid and unexpired passport when submitting their application.
Applicants must also upload a digital scan of the passport’s biographic and signature pages as part of the electronic entry form.
Authorities have made it clear that applications without passport details or a valid passport scan will be automatically disqualified from the lottery.
New Rule to Take Effect From April 2026
The updated regulation will take effect on April 10, 2026, and is expected to apply to the DV-2027 lottery cycle, which will likely open later in 2026.
The Diversity Visa programme attracts millions of applicants worldwide every year, making it one of the most competitive immigration pathways to the United States.
Why the US Introduced This Change
The US government says the passport requirement aims to combat fraud and duplicate entries in the programme.
Officials found that the DV-2025 lottery had over 2.5 million duplicate applications, many submitted by third-party agents without applicants’ knowledge.
Requiring passport documentation early in the process helps authorities confirm the identity of applicants and prevents large-scale misuse of the system.
Why the Rule Won’t Affect Indians
Despite the new rules, the change will not impact Indian applicants because India is not eligible for the Diversity Visa lottery.
The programme only allows participation from countries that have sent fewer than 50,000 immigrants to the US over the past five years. Since India exceeds this threshold, Indian nationals cannot apply for the DV lottery.
As a result, Indians seeking permanent residency in the US must rely on other routes such as employment-based visas, family sponsorship, or investment programmes.
Conclusion
The new passport requirement marks a significant tightening of the US Green Card lottery system, aimed at improving transparency and preventing fraudulent entries. While the rule will affect millions of global applicants, it does not change the situation for Indians, who remain ineligible for the Diversity Visa programme due to high immigration numbers.
