2027 DV Lottery: Enter It Yourself

Every year the government runs a lottery for 55,000 green cards — the Diversity Visa lottery, the "green card lottery." Here's the straight version.

Enter it yourself. The entry is a form on the State Department's own site, dvprogram.state.gov. It costs $1, and most entrants now have to upload a passport scan. That's it. Nobody can improve your odds — selection is random. Anyone charging hundreds of dollars to "enter you" is selling nothing. Don't pay them.

If you're picked, the clock starts. This cycle is compressed. Selection notices are expected in December, and the visa has to actually issue by September 30, 2027, or the selection is lost. There are two ways to get the visa: adjust your status here, or process at a consulate abroad.

Here's who we take — and who we don't. We take DV cases only for people who are here in lawful status and can legally adjust here — students, H-1B holders, anyone maintaining their status with no unauthorized work. If that's you and you're selected, contact us. We'll handle the adjustment or the consular case.

We stay away from the rest, and here's why you should be careful too. Working without authorization, or being out of status, bars adjustment — and the 180-day forgiveness you've heard about applies only to employment-based cases, not DV. And if you've overstayed and built up unlawful presence, leaving the country to process abroad can trigger a three-year or ten-year bar on coming back. Get advice before you travel, not after.

So: enter it yourself. If you're picked and you're here legally, call us. That's the whole thing.