The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, administered by the U.S. Department of State, makes up to 55,000 immigrant visa numbers available annually for permanent residence in the United States (U.S.), drawn through a random selection from all entries submitted by individuals who are from countries with low rates of immigration to the U.S.

Natives of the following countries and areas are not eligible to apply this fiscal year because more than 50,000 natives of these countries immigrated to the U.S. in the previous five years: Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, The People’s Republic of China (including mainland and Hong Kong born), Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Korea (South Korea), Venezuela, and Vietnam. Natives of Macau SAR and Taiwan are eligible.

Each applicant must meet the education and work experience requirement by having either: at least a high school education or its equivalent, defined as the successful completion of a 12-year course of formal elementary and secondary education; or two years of work experience within the past five years in an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience to perform.

The entry submission period for the U.S. Department of State’s 2025 Diversity Visa Program is open until 12 p.m. EST on Nov. 7, 2023. There is no fee to register for the program; however, selectees will need to pay additional processing fees for approval of the permanent resident status.

Individuals seeking to submit entries for the 2025 Diversity Visa Program should contact the Taft Immigration team for further details on the program.