Green Card Lottery DV 2026
The US Green Card DV 2026 drawing has begun | This article will help you correctly fill out the application form to participate in the drawing on the official website in 2024
More than 25 million applications are submitted to the Green Card Lottery every year, about 18% of which are rejected due to errors. Over the past four years, 31,367 Russians have won green cards.
When does the Green Card DV 2026 lottery start?
Registration: The DV-2026 Green Card Sweepstakes began on October 2, 2024 and runs through November 5, 2024 at 8:00 PM EST.
Publication of results: Participants will be able to check the status of their application on the official website of the lottery program starting May 7, 2025
Submission of documents and interview for winners: in 2025–2026.
Obtaining a visa and entering the USA: starting from 2026 (if the application was successfully approved and all stages were completed).
Ways to participate in the Green Card DV 2026 draw
1 way company intermediaries: You can use the services of agencies or companies that submit the application for you. They usually help with filling out the application form, checking data and photographs. It is important to choose a reliable intermediary to avoid fraud.
Telegram method 2 Greenkartabot: Service https://t.me/greenkartabot will help you take a photo from your phone, process it in accordance with the requirements, send an application and notify about the result of the drawing.
Method 3 yourself on the official website: The safest and most reliable way is to fill out an application on the official website dvprogram.state.gov. The process involves entering personal information and uploading a photo. This is a free method and you personally control all the steps.
How to independently apply for participation in the Green Card in 2024
Applying for a green card 2026 on your own requires care and compliance with all rules. The application process includes filling out a form on the official website dvprogram.state.govuploading a photo and confirming data.
Photo Recommendation: It is best to contact a photo studio or hotel to have a professional photograph taken. Communicate that you need a photo for your green card – this will help the photographer meet all the requirements correctly (for example, size 600×600 pixels). The average price for such a service is approx. 500 rubles. This ensures that the photograph meets all requirements and reduces the risk of an application being rejected due to non-compliance.
Tip for saving your application number: After submitting your application, be sure to save your Confirmation Number – it is needed to check your results. I recommend taking a screenshot or writing down the number in a safe place so as not to lose it, since without this number you will not be able to check the status of the application.
Step 1. General information
Language: Fill out the form in Englishusing the Latin alphabet. Use ICAO transliteration rules when necessary.
Thoroughness: Please ensure that all information is correct before submitting – it will not be possible to correct information once submitted.
Questionnaire structure: Consists of two parts – one for the main applicant, the other for his family members (spouse and children).
Step 2. Filling in personal information
Last name and first name: Enter them as indicated in the passport.
Middle Name: Don't write a middle name if you don't have a middle name. If it is not there, check “No Middle Name”.
Floor: Select your gender: “Male” (male) or “Female” (female).
Date of birth: Enter the date in Month/Day/Year format.
Place of birth: Enter only the city of birth, as on the birth certificate.
Country of birth: Select a country from the list.
Step 3. Country of participation
Usually coincides with the country of birth. If your country is not participating, you can choose your spouse's or parents' country.
Filling in information about the country
Step 4: Add a photo
To upload a current photo for the Green Card Lottery, you must follow the official requirements. Here are the basic rules:
Photo size: 600×600 pixels (square image).
File Format: JPEG (.jpg).
Photo color: Color photography, with natural light and no shadows.
Background: Uniform white or light background.
Face: The face must be completely visible, with no accessories obscuring it (for example, headdresses other than religious ones). Hair should not cover the face.
Head position: The face should be in the center of the frame, the gaze directed directly at the camera, the head straight, not tilted.
Facial expression: Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open.
Cloth: No uniform items other than the religious paraphernalia you wear on a daily basis.
Recency of the photograph: The photo must be taken no more than 6 months before submitting your application to reflect your current condition.
If you need to quickly check whether your photo is suitable for an application, you can use online services such as greencardphotocheck.com to check the photo to ensure it meets all requirements.
Step 5. Indicate the country in which you live
Address Line 1: Indicate the main part of the address (street, house, etc.)
Address Line 2: Leave blank
City/Town: – City.
District/County/Province/State: Region of residence.
Postal Code/Zip Code: Postal code
Country: Country.
Step 6. Contacts
When filling out your Green Card Lottery application, it is very important that you provide a valid email address because you will receive notifications related to your application through it.
Step 7. Enter your education
Primary School only
High School, no degree (Incomplete secondary education)
High School degree (Secondary education with certificate)
Vocational School (Secondary vocational education)
Some University Courses (Incomplete higher education)
University Degree (Higher education)
Some Graduate Level Courses
Master's Degree
Some Doctorate Level Courses
Doctorate Degree (Doctor of Science)
Step 8. Marital status
Unmarried: Never married
Married: Married
Married and my spouse is NOT a US citizen or US LPR: Married, spouse is not a US citizen/resident
Married and my spouse IS a US citizen or US LPR: Married to a US citizen/resident
Divorced: Divorced
Widowed: Widower/Widow
Legally Separated: Officially separated
Step 9. Children
Indicate the number of children under 21 years of age: relatives, adopted children, stepsons/stepdaughters, children from former marriages.
Children living with the other parent after divorce must also be included.
Do not count children who are US citizens or green card holders.
If you don't have children, skip this step.
We indicate all children
Step 10. Check data and submit application
Check all the information and click “Continue”. If there are errors, the system will ask you to correct them.
Make sure you have the latest version of your browser and have 60 minutes to complete the survey. If the application does not submit, you may need to restart the process or use a different browser.
Step 11. Completing the process
After successfully submitting the form, you will receive a confirmation with a unique number. Save this number as you will need it to check your results.
Filling out the details of family members for the Green Card Lottery
If you have a spouse and/or children, after filling out your personal information, the form will automatically redirect you to the next page to enter information about your family members.
Photos of family members:
Make sure you have high quality photos spouse and all eligible children.
Each family member (spouse and children) must be listed on the application, even if they do not plan to move to the United States.
Carefully fill in the data:
Enter information about each family member as carefully as you enter your own. This applies to name, date and place of birth, country of birth, and other data.
All data must match those indicated in their official documents (passports, birth certificates).
After entering data:
After filling in the details of your spouse and children, click Continue to go to the next page.
In the last step, carefully check all entered data. You can see an overview of the questionnaire to make sure there are no errors.
Checking data before sending:
Check each section for errors or typos.
Make sure all details are correct and photos are uploaded as required.
Confirmation of application:
Click Continue for final submission of the form.
If you see a confirmation screen, your application has been submitted successfully.
Important: Successful submission of an application does not guarantee that it will not be canceled – applications may be rejected due to errors, inconsistencies or incorrect data.
Photo requirements for the green card application
You can take a green card photo yourself using a good camera and a white background, but it is important to take into account all the requirements for the photo. If the photo is not up to standard (for example, the proportions are wrong or there are shadows in the background), editing may be necessary, such as removing the background or taking the photo again.
A reliable way to contact a photo studio, where the photo will be taken in accordance with the required standards right away.
Note: You can check your green card photo for errors at https://www.greencardphotocheck.com/ru/
Parameters and requirements:
Relevance:
Format and size:
The photo must be colored and square.
The head should occupy from 50% to 69% photo height.
Print size: 51 x 51 mm.
Digital size: 600 x 600 pixels, format: JPG.
Maximum file size: 240 KB.
Technical requirements:
The image must be clear, with uniform light backgroundno shadows.
The skin color in the photo should be natural, retouching and digital processing are not allowed.
The head should be located in the center of the photo (the scale should not be larger or further away)
Composition:
Cloth: Casual, standard clothing. Hats and glasses are prohibited unless their wearing is for religious or medical reasons.
Pose: Direct gaze, neutral facial expression, hair should not cover the face.
Requirements for photographs of children:
Single portrait: Only the child should be in the photo, without strangers.
Babies: You can place the baby on a light-colored cloth or take a photo in a car seat with a white background. It is important that there are no shadows on the child’s face. The eyes may be half-lidded or closed.
How to check your winnings Green Card DV 2026
The results of the green card draw can be checked from May 7, 2025 on the official lottery website dvprogram.state.gov. You will need to enter the 16-digit Confirmation Number you received when you applied, along with your last name and year of birth.
Checking status: You will see the status of your application – whether you won or not.
Save information: If you win, save or print the confirmation page and follow the instructions.
What is the Green Card Lottery?
The Green Card Lottery, also known as the DV-Lottery (Diversity Visa Lottery), is a program that provides a unique opportunity to obtain US permanent resident status through a random selection of participants. It is held annually for citizens of countries whose representatives have emigrated to the United States less actively in recent years.
TOP 10 common mistakes when filling out the green card application form
Incorrect photo: Errors in file size, head size ratio, use of retouching, or incorrect background may result in disqualification.
Errors in personal data: A misspelled name, date of birth or other personal information must be entered exactly as in the passport.
Using an old photo: The photo must be taken no more than 6 months before submitting the application.
Skipping required fields: All fields of the application form must be filled out, otherwise the application may not be accepted.
Duplicate application: Submission of more than one entry by one person will result in automatic disqualification.
Wrong marriage status: It is important to correctly indicate your marital status at the time of application.
Skipping information about children or spouse: All children, including children from previous marriages, and spouse must be listed.
Unaccounted for changes in marital status: If there is a change in marital status (for example, the birth of a child) after filing your application, this may affect the further process.
Outdated passport: To participate in the lottery you need a valid foreign passport.
Errors in contact information: Make sure you enter the correct email and phone number to ensure you receive all the information you need.
