Countries Eligible For the 2024 Green Card Lottery (DV-2025)
The annual Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery, also known as the Green Card Lottery, is one of the easiest ways to become a lawful permanent resident (LPR) of the United States.
A key goal of this US immigration program is to further diversify the population of the United States, by offering a Diversity Immigrant Visa and Permanent Resident Green Card to 55,000 individuals from countries with historically low levels of US immigration.
In order to apply for the Green Card Lottery, the main applicant must have been born in an eligible country AND must have completed at least a secondary/high school education OR two years of qualifying work experience in the previous five years.
Over 10 million main applicants, along with their dependent family members, participate in the annual Green Card Lottery and around 100,000 winners are randomly selected by computer for the opportunity to apply for one of the 55,000 Diversity Visas and Green Cards authorized to be issued through this US immigration program each year.
This article will focus on which countries can apply for the Green Card Lottery and which countries cannot apply for the Green Card Lottery that will be held in 2024 (known as DV-2025), so keep reading for the important details!
Table of Contents
Eligible Countries for the DV Lottery in 2023
People born in the following countries, listed by regions, are ELIGIBLE to apply for the DV-2025 Green Card Lottery during the annual registration period held October 4, 2023, until November 7, 2023, and the DV lottery results will be published starting in May 2024:
- Africa – Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Cote D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
- Asia – Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bhutan, Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, North Korea, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. NOTE: Macau SAR is eligible, but listed under Europe with eligibility from Portugal. Eligible countries from the Former Soviet Union (including those in Asia) are listed under Europe for DV-Lottery purposes.
- Europe – Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic (Czechia), Denmark (including components and overseas dependent areas), Estonia, Finland, France (including components and overseas dependent areas), Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau SAR (eligibility is through Portugal), North Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands (including components and overseas dependent areas), Northern Ireland (treated separately from the UK for purposes of the DV-Lottery), Norway (including components and overseas dependent areas), Poland, Portugal (including components and overseas dependent areas), Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey (Türkiye), Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Kingdom (including dependent areas), Uzbekistan, and Vatican City.
- North America – The Bahamas.
- Oceania – Australia (including components and overseas dependent areas), Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Zealand (including components and overseas dependent areas), Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
- South America, Central America, and The Caribbean – Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Ecuador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uruguay.
Which countries are not eligible for the DV Lottery?
Individuals born in the following countries are NOT ELIGIBLE to apply for the DV-2025 Green Card Lottery during the annual registration period held October 4, 2023, until November 7, 2023:
- Africa – Nigeria.
- Asia – Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, People’s Republic of China (including mainland and Hong Kong), Philippines, South Korea (Republic of Korea), and Vietnam.
- Europe – N/A
- North America – Canada.
- Oceania – N/A
- South America, Central America, and The Caribbean – Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, and Venezuela.
Why are some countries not eligible for the DV Lottery?
A key goal of the Diversity Visa Lottery is to further diversify the population of the United States.
Therefore, according to the DV Lottery rules, if more than 50,000 people born in a particular country or area immigrated to the USA during the past five years, that country or area will not be eligible for the DV Lottery.
It is important to note that a country might not be eligible for several years, but at some point in the future, it could become eligible once again.
Can I participate if I’m not from an eligible country?
If you satisfy the education or work experience requirement, but you were not born in an eligible country, it may still be possible to participate in the DV Lottery.
For example, if you are legally married and your spouse was born in an eligible country, you could claim “chargeability” to his or her country. You will need to give an explanation in question #6 of the DV Lottery application form.
Another way would be if at least one of your parents was born in an eligible country AND neither of your parents was born in your country of birth nor a resident or your country of birth when you were born, then you could claim “chargeability” to his or her country if it is eligible. You will need to give an explanation in question #6 of the DV Lottery application form. According to the DV Lottery Instructions: “People are not generally considered residents of a country in which they were not born or legally naturalized. For example, persons simply visiting, studying, or temporarily working in a country are not generally considered residents.”
Conclusion
People born in most countries can apply for the Green Card Lottery (DV Lottery) if they also satisfy the education or work experience requirement.
Being selected as a ‘winner’ of the Green Card Lottery gives an individual and his or her dependent family members the opportunity to continue the process to receive a Diversity Immigrant Visa and US Permanent Resident Green Card.
Green Card holders are authorized to live, study and work in the United States for an unlimited period of time and can enjoy many other benefits, such as the option to become an American citizen after living in the USA for five years and meeting other criteria.
It is important, however, that the information in the Green Card Lottery application is correct and that each photo is made according to the strict standards.
Failure to complete the application and photo(s) correctly could result in being disqualified after being selected as a winner of the Green Card Lottery.
Since 2001, USAFIS has been assisting thousands of people around the world to properly prepare and submit their applications and photos to the annual Green Card Lottery.
During these past two decades, tens of thousands of USAFIS customers have been selected as winners of the Green Card Lottery and given the opportunity to become US Permanent Resident Green Card holders.
USAFIS also offers additional beneficial services to its customers who are selected as Green Card Lottery winners, to help their US immigration procedure go as smoothly as possible.
Are you ready for a new life full of possibilities living in America?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
Which countries are eligible for the DV Lottery?
Most of the world’s countries are eligible for the DV Lottery which will be held in early 2024, except for: Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, People’s Republic of China (including mainland and Hong Kong), Philippines, South Korea (Republic of Korea), Venezuela, and Vietnam.
Which country is not eligible for the DV Lottery?
For the DV-2025 Green Card Lottery which will be held in early 2024, these countries are not eligible: Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, People’s Republic of China (including mainland and Hong Kong), Philippines, South Korea (Republic of Korea), Venezuela, and Vietnam.
Can I apply for the DV Lottery 2024?
The two key requirements to apply for the DV Lottery are: (1) to be born in a country that is eligible AND (2) to have completed at least a high school education (i.e., 12 years of primary and secondary education) OR a minimum of two years of work experience during the previous five years in a qualifying occupation requiring at least two years of experience or training to perform. If you are not sure if you can apply for the DV Lottery, USAFIS can inform you about your options.
How many DV visas will be available in 2024?
Up to 55,000 Diversity Immigrant Visas will be available.
What are the chances of winning the DV Lottery?
An individual’s chances of winning the DV Lottery are relatively good, however, a person generally needs to participate in the DV Lottery more than one year before being randomly selected by computer. If someone is married and both spouses are eligible to participate in the DV Lottery as main applicants, they could each submit a separate DV Lottery application (and include the other spouse along with all unmarried dependent children under 21 years of age), which would basically double their chances of winning the DV Lottery. In general, there are approximately 10 million main applicants who participate in the DV Lottery each year, around 100,000 main applicants are randomly selected by computer and up to 55,000 Diversity Immigrant Visas and Green Cards are issued to DV Lottery winners and their family members who complete the consular process successfully.
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