As of today, October 4, 2023, the U.S. Department of State has opened its online portal for applications to the 2025 Diversity Visa (DV) lottery. Prospective candidates have until November 7, 2023, to complete their submissions at https://dvprogram.state.gov/. For the fiscal year 2025, the State Department has allocated 55,000 green cards for foreign nationals.
The DV program extends an opportunity to individuals from countries, including Ghana, which have historically sent fewer immigrants to the United States, to obtain a coveted green card. Annually, the Department of State oversees the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, established by statute.
Section 203(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) outlines the category of “diversity immigrants” hailing from nations with traditionally low immigration rates to the U.S. For the fiscal year 2025, a total of 55,000 Diversity Visas (DVs) will be on offer, the State Department has announced.
Registering for the DV program does not incur any fees. However, selected applicants slated for an interview will need to cover a visa application fee before proceeding with the formal application process, where a consular officer will assess their eligibility for the visa.
Entries for the DV-2025 program must be submitted electronically through dvprogram.state.gov between 12:00 pm (noon), Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (GMT-4), on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, and 12:00 pm (noon), Eastern Standard Time (EST) (GMT-5), on Tuesday, November 7, 2023.
By: Kweku Zurek