If you’re a citizen of another country, you’re eligible to participate in the Green Card Lottery, also known as the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV) or Green Card Lottery.
Established in 1990, the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program aims to increase the number of foreign nationals who may immigrate to the United States.
Since 2000, the diversity visas each fiscal year have been reduced from 55,000 to 50,000. Diversity lottery refers to the random selection of visa grantees from a pool of eligible applicants.
There is no priority in the lottery for candidates sponsored by an employer or family member in the United States. Even if one wins the lottery, it does not ensure one’s eligibility for permanent resident status.
Since an average of more than 13.3 million people a year compete for a total of 50,000 Diversity Visas, the lottery win is still an important milestone in many immigrants’ journeys toward citizenship.

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If you’re in the running for a green card, what are the prerequisites?
Participants in the diversity lottery must be citizens of one of the low-admittance nations, defined as those from which less than 50,000 natives have moved to the United States in the previous five years.
Generally, people from countries like China, India, & Mexico aren’t eligible for the lottery since they have a wide range of options for obtaining a visa to the United States.
The applicant or the applicant’s spouse must be a native of one of the qualified countries of origin to be eligible for a diversity visa. Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, a person must also be eligible for admission to the United States (INA).
A high school diploma (or an equivalent) and two years of recent job experience are also required. Each year, those who are eligible must submit their applications online within a small window of time.
DV Lottery Countries Eligible for 2023
Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania, North America, & South America/Central America/Caribbean are divided into six areas by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The yearly diversity visa allocation for each area is then calculated by USCIS based on current immigration data and a methodology.
Every September, the list is revised for the next year, which is 15 months away. In September of 2021, for example, the 2023 list was published.
A nation with visas available in one year will not have the same number or any in the next year since the list is reevaluated each year. The 2023 DV Lottery is open to citizens of the following countries:
Algeria | Eswatini | Namibia |
Angola | Ethiopia | Niger |
Benin | Gabon | Rwanda |
Botswana | Gambia | São Tomé and PrÃncipe |
Burkina Faso | Ghana | Senegal |
Burundi | Guinea | Seychelles |
Cameroon | Guinea-Bissau | Sierra Leone |
Cabo Verde | Kenya | Somalia |
Central African Republic | Lesotho | South Africa |
Chad | Liberia | South Sudan |
Comoros | Libya | Sudan |
Congo (Dem. Rep.) | Madagascar | Tanzania |
Congo (Rep of) | Malawi | Togo |
Cote D’Ivorie | Mali | Tunisia |
Djibouti | Mauritania | Uganda |
Egypt | Mauritius | Zambia |
Equatorial Guinea | Morocco | Zimbabwe |
Eritrea | Mozambique |
Note: * signifies a nation that includes its overseas territories and dependent regions.
Asia
Please note that Macau (China SAR)***, although situated in Asia, gets its eligibility from Portugal and is thus considered a European nation in terms of immigration.
Afghanistan | Jordan | Qatar |
Bahrain | Kuwait | Saudi Arabia |
Bhutan | Laos | Singapore |
Brunei | Lebanon | Sri Lanka |
Burma | Malaysia | Syria |
Cambodia | Maldives | Taiwan |
Indonesia | Mongolia | Thailand |
Iran | Nepal | Timor-Leste |
Iraq | North Korea | United Arab Emirates |
Israel | Oman | Yemen |
Japan |
Europe
Even though it is situated in Asia, Macau (China SAR) *** receives its eligibility from Portugal and is thus considered a European nation for immigration purposes. The attack on Ukraine by Russia and Belarus in February 2022 might also lead to a suspension of immigration from these countries.
Albania | Hungary | Norway * |
Andorra | Iceland | Poland |
Armenia | Ireland | Portugal * |
Austria | Italy | Romania |
Azerbaijan | Kazakhstan | Russia ** |
Belarus ** | Kosovo | San Marino |
Belgium | Kyrgyzstan | Serbia |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | Latvia | Slovakia |
Bulgaria | Liechtenstein | Slovenia |
Croatia | Lithuania | Spain |
Cyprus | Luxembourg | Sweden |
Czech Republic | Macau (China SAR) *** | Switzerland |
Denmark * | Malta | Tajikistan |
Estonia | Moldova | Turkey |
Finland | Monaco | Turkmenistan |
France | Montenegro | Ukraine |
Georgia | Netherlands * | Uzbekistan |
Germany | North Macedonia ** | Vatican City |
Greece | Northern Ireland (UK) |
North America
Bahamas |
Also See: Global Entry Countries 2022
Oceania
Australia * | Nauru | Solomon Islands |
Fiji | New Zealand * | Tonga |
Kiribati | Palau | Tuvalu |
Marshall Islands | Papua New Guinea | Vanuatu |
Micronesia | Samoa |
South America, Central America, and the Caribbean
Antigua and Barbuda | Dominica | Peru |
Argentina | Ecuador | Saint Kitts and Nevis |
Barbados | Grenada | Saint Lucia |
Belize | Guatemala | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
Bolivia | Guyana | Suriname |
Chile | Nicaragua | Trinidad and Tobago |
Costa Rica | Panama | Uruguay |
Cuba | Paraguay |
Country | 2023 Eligibility | Region | Subregion |
---|---|---|---|
Indonesia | Eligible | Asia | South-Eastern Asia |
Russia | Eligible | Europe | Eastern Europe |
Japan | Eligible | Asia | Eastern Asia |
Ethiopia | Eligible | Africa | Eastern Africa |
Egypt | Eligible | Africa | Northern Africa |
DR Congo | Eligible | Africa | Middle Africa |
Iran | Eligible | Asia | Southern Asia |
Turkey | Eligible | Asia | Western Asia |
Germany | Eligible | Europe | Western Europe |
Thailand | Eligible | Asia | South-Eastern Asia |
Tanzania | Eligible | Africa | Eastern Africa |
France | Eligible | Europe | Western Europe |
South Africa | Eligible | Africa | Southern Africa |
Italy | Eligible | Europe | Southern Europe |
Kenya | Eligible | Africa | Eastern Africa |
Spain | Eligible | Europe | Southern Europe |
Uganda | Eligible | Africa | Eastern Africa |
Sudan | Eligible | Africa | Northern Africa |
Argentina | Eligible | Americas | South America |
Algeria | Eligible | Africa | Northern Africa |
Iraq | Eligible | Asia | Western Asia |
Afghanistan | Eligible | Asia | Southern Asia |
Poland | Eligible | Europe | Eastern Europe |
Ukraine | Eligible | Europe | Eastern Europe |
Morocco | Eligible | Africa | Northern Africa |
Saudi Arabia | Eligible | Asia | Western Asia |
Angola | Eligible | Africa | Middle Africa |
Uzbekistan | Eligible | Asia | Central Asia |
Peru | Eligible | Americas | South America |
Malaysia | Eligible | Asia | South-Eastern Asia |
Yemen | Eligible | Asia | Western Asia |
Ghana | Eligible | Africa | Western Africa |
Mozambique | Eligible | Africa | Eastern Africa |
Nepal | Eligible | Asia | Southern Asia |
Madagascar | Eligible | Africa | Eastern Africa |
Ivory Coast | Eligible | Africa | Western Africa |
Cameroon | Eligible | Africa | Middle Africa |
Niger | Eligible | Africa | Western Africa |
Australia | Eligible | Oceania | Australia and New Zealand |
North Korea | Eligible | Asia | Eastern Asia |
Taiwan | Eligible | Asia | Eastern Asia |
Burkina Faso | Eligible | Africa | Western Africa |
Mali | Eligible | Africa | Western Africa |
Syria | Eligible | Asia | Western Asia |
Sri Lanka | Eligible | Asia | Southern Asia |
Malawi | Eligible | Africa | Eastern Africa |
Zambia | Eligible | Africa | Eastern Africa |
Romania | Eligible | Europe | Eastern Europe |
Chile | Eligible | Americas | South America |
Kazakhstan | Eligible | Asia | Central Asia |
Ecuador | Eligible | Americas | South America |
Guatemala | Eligible | Americas | Central America |
Chad | Eligible | Africa | Middle Africa |
Somalia | Eligible | Africa | Eastern Africa |
Netherlands | Eligible | Europe | Western Europe |
Senegal | Eligible | Africa | Western Africa |
Cambodia | Eligible | Asia | South-Eastern Asia |
Zimbabwe | Eligible | Africa | Eastern Africa |
Guinea | Eligible | Africa | Western Africa |
Rwanda | Eligible | Africa | Eastern Africa |
Benin | Eligible | Africa | Western Africa |
Burundi | Eligible | Africa | Eastern Africa |
Tunisia | Eligible | Africa | Northern Africa |
Bolivia | Eligible | Americas | South America |
Belgium | Eligible | Europe | Western Europe |
Jordan | Eligible | Asia | Western Asia |
Cuba | Eligible | Americas | Caribbean |
South Sudan | Eligible | Africa | Middle Africa |
Sweden | Eligible | Europe | Northern Europe |
Czech Republic | Eligible | Europe | Eastern Europe |
Greece | Eligible | Europe | Southern Europe |
Azerbaijan | Eligible | Asia | Western Asia |
Portugal | Eligible | Europe | Southern Europe |
Papua New Guinea | Eligible | Oceania | Melanesia |
Hungary | Eligible | Europe | Eastern Europe |
Tajikistan | Eligible | Asia | Central Asia |
Belarus | Eligible | Europe | Eastern Europe |
United Arab Emirates | Eligible | Asia | Western Asia |
Israel | Eligible | Asia | Western Asia |
Austria | Eligible | Europe | Western Europe |
Togo | Eligible | Africa | Western Africa |
Switzerland | Eligible | Europe | Western Europe |
Sierra Leone | Eligible | Africa | Western Africa |
Laos | Eligible | Asia | South-Eastern Asia |
Serbia | Eligible | Europe | Southern Europe |
Nicaragua | Eligible | Americas | Central America |
Libya | Eligible | Africa | Northern Africa |
Bulgaria | Eligible | Europe | Eastern Europe |
Paraguay | Eligible | Americas | South America |
Kyrgyzstan | Eligible | Asia | Central Asia |
Turkmenistan | Eligible | Asia | Central Asia |
Singapore | Eligible | Asia | South-Eastern Asia |
Denmark | Eligible | Europe | Northern Europe |
Slovakia | Eligible | Europe | Eastern Europe |
Central African Republic | Eligible | Africa | Middle Africa |
Finland | Eligible | Europe | Northern Europe |
Lebanon | Eligible | Asia | Western Asia |
Norway | Eligible | Europe | Northern Europe |
Liberia | Eligible | Africa | Western Africa |
New Zealand | Eligible | Oceania | Australia and New Zealand |
Ireland | Eligible | Europe | Northern Europe |
Mauritania | Eligible | Africa | Western Africa |
Oman | Eligible | Asia | Western Asia |
Panama | Eligible | Americas | Central America |
Kuwait | Eligible | Asia | Western Asia |
Croatia | Eligible | Europe | Southern Europe |
Georgia | Eligible | Asia | Western Asia |
Eritrea | Eligible | Africa | Eastern Africa |
Uruguay | Eligible | Americas | South America |
Mongolia | Eligible | Asia | Eastern Asia |
Moldova | Eligible | Europe | Eastern Europe |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | Eligible | Europe | Southern Europe |
Albania | Eligible | Europe | Southern Europe |
Armenia | Eligible | Asia | Western Asia |
Lithuania | Eligible | Europe | Northern Europe |
Gambia | Eligible | Africa | Western Africa |
Qatar | Eligible | Asia | Western Asia |
Botswana | Eligible | Africa | Southern Africa |
Namibia | Eligible | Africa | Southern Africa |
Gabon | Eligible | Africa | Middle Africa |
Lesotho | Eligible | Africa | Southern Africa |
Slovenia | Eligible | Europe | Southern Europe |
Guinea-Bissau | Eligible | Africa | Western Africa |
North Macedonia | Eligible | Europe | Southern Europe |
Latvia | Eligible | Europe | Northern Europe |
Equatorial Guinea | Eligible | Africa | Middle Africa |
Trinidad and Tobago | Eligible | Americas | Caribbean |
Bahrain | Eligible | Asia | Western Asia |
Timor-Leste | Eligible | Asia | South-Eastern Asia |
Estonia | Eligible | Europe | Northern Europe |
Mauritius | Eligible | Africa | Eastern Africa |
Cyprus | Eligible | Europe | Eastern Europe |
Eswatini | Eligible | Africa | Southern Africa |
Djibouti | Eligible | Africa | Eastern Africa |
Fiji | Eligible | Oceania | Melanesia |
Comoros | Eligible | Africa | Eastern Africa |
Guyana | Eligible | Americas | South America |
Bhutan | Eligible | Asia | Southern Asia |
Solomon Islands | Eligible | Oceania | Melanesia |
Macau | Eligible | Asia | Eastern Asia |
Luxembourg | Eligible | Europe | Western Europe |
Montenegro | Eligible | Europe | Southern Europe |
Suriname | Eligible | Americas | South America |
Malta | Eligible | Europe | Southern Europe |
Maldives | Eligible | Asia | Southern Asia |
Brunei | Eligible | Asia | South-Eastern Asia |
Bahamas | Eligible | Americas | Caribbean |
Belize | Eligible | Americas | Central America |
Iceland | Eligible | Europe | Northern Europe |
Vanuatu | Eligible | Oceania | Melanesia |
Barbados | Eligible | Americas | Caribbean |
Samoa | Eligible | Oceania | Polynesia |
Saint Lucia | Eligible | Americas | Caribbean |
Kiribati | Eligible | Oceania | Micronesia |
Grenada | Eligible | Americas | Caribbean |
Micronesia | Eligible | Oceania | Micronesia |
Seychelles | Eligible | Africa | Eastern Africa |
Tonga | Eligible | Oceania | Polynesia |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Eligible | Americas | Caribbean |
Antigua and Barbuda | Eligible | Americas | Caribbean |
Andorra | Eligible | Europe | Southern Europe |
Dominica | Eligible | Americas | Caribbean |
Saint Kitts and Nevis | Eligible | Americas | Caribbean |
Marshall Islands | Eligible | Oceania | Micronesia |
Liechtenstein | Eligible | Europe | Western Europe |
Monaco | Eligible | Europe | Western Europe |
San Marino | Eligible | Europe | Southern Europe |
Palau | Eligible | Oceania | Micronesia |
Nauru | Eligible | Oceania | Micronesia |
Tuvalu | Eligible | Oceania | Polynesia |
Vatican City | Eligible | Europe | Southern Europe |
China | Ineligible | Asia | Eastern Asia |
India | Ineligible | Asia | Southern Asia |
Pakistan | Ineligible | Asia | Southern Asia |
Nigeria | Ineligible | Africa | Western Africa |
Brazil | Ineligible | Americas | South America |
Bangladesh | Ineligible | Asia | Southern Asia |
Mexico | Ineligible | Americas | Central America |
Vietnam | Ineligible | Asia | South-Eastern Asia |
United Kingdom | Ineligible | Europe | Northern Europe |
Colombia | Ineligible | Americas | South America |
South Korea | Ineligible | Asia | Eastern Asia |
Canada | Ineligible | Americas | Northern America |
Venezuela | Ineligible | Americas | South America |
Haiti | Ineligible | Americas | Caribbean |
Dominican Republic | Ineligible | Americas | Caribbean |
Honduras | Ineligible | Americas | Central America |
Hong Kong | Ineligible | Asia | Eastern Asia |
El Salvador | Ineligible | Americas | Central America |
Jamaica | Ineligible | Americas | Caribbean |