The US Department of State has officially confirmed that nationals of 19 countries, including Nigeria, are ineligible to participate in the DV-2026 Diversity Visa programme, commonly known as the Green Card lottery. The Kentucky Consular Center in Williamsburg, Kentucky, managed the selection process, registering approximately 129,516 prospective applicants, including selectees and their accompanying spouses and children.
Full List of Barred Countries for DV-2026
According to the Department of State, the following countries are barred from the DV-2026 programme: Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (including Hong Kong SAR), Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, Venezuela, and Vietnam.
The programme targets nations with historically low rates of immigration to the United States. Countries that already send large numbers of immigrants annually are excluded from participating, as per the Diversity Visa rules.
How the DV-2026 Programme Works
Up to 55,000 diversity visas are allocated annually under section 203(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. However, deductions under the Nicaraguan and Central American Relief Act (NACARA) and the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024 reduced the DV-2026 limit to approximately 51,850 visas for fiscal year 2026, which covers the period from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026.
Entries were drawn at random from a pool of 20,822,624 qualified submissions received during the 37-day application window, which ran from 2 October 2024 to 7 November 2024. Visas are distributed across six geographic regions, with a cap ensuring no single country receives more than seven per cent of the total allocation.
Eligibility and Next Steps for Selectees
To qualify, applicants must hold a high school education or its equivalent, or at least two years of work experience within the past five years in an occupation requiring two years of training. Selectees already present in the United States with legal status may apply to adjust their status through the US Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Those selected must complete all required steps before 30 September 2026, after which their DV-2026 registration carries no further benefit. The Department of State noted that dates for the DV-2027 registration period will be announced in the coming months.
In related news, the US State Department registered about 129,516 prospective applicants for the DV-2026 Diversity Visa programme from across the world. African countries featured prominently on the DV-2026 list, with Egypt, Algeria, Sudan and Kenya among those recording the highest number of selectees.
