The United States Department of State has released the results of the DV-2026 Diversity Visa Lottery, allowing applicants who submitted entries between October 2 and November 7, 2024, to check their status online via the official Entrant Status Check portal - https://dvprogram.state.gov/ESC/
The announcement offers a fresh chance for hopeful immigrants from eligible countries, including Ghana, to pursue legal permanent residency in the United States.
To verify selection, applicants must visit the Diversity Visa Lottery website and input their confirmation number, last name, and year of birth. The results will remain accessible until 30 September 2026.
The Diversity Visa Programme, commonly known as the Green Card Lottery, offers up to 55,000 immigrant visas annually to individuals from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States. While the programme is open to many African nations, including Ghana, some countries have been excluded from the DV-2026 cycle due to high recent migration numbers to the U.S.
Nationals of Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (including Hong Kong SAR), Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Korea, Venezuela, and Vietnam are not eligible to participate in the DV-2026 programme.
The U.S. State Department has emphasised that it does not notify selected applicants by email or letter. “For those checking their status, remember we do not send selection notifications by email or post,” the Department stated. “Entrants must check their status themselves using the online portal.” Officials have warned the public to be cautious of fraudulent messages requesting money or personal information under the pretext of DV Lottery selection.
Being selected in the lottery does not automatically guarantee a visa. It merely qualifies the individual to apply for one. Since the number of visas is limited and applications are processed in the order received, selected entrants are advised to act quickly and carefully.
After selection, applicants are expected to complete Form DS-260, the immigrant visa application, through the U.S. State Department’s Immigrant/Diversity Visa portal. They must then wait for an interview appointment to be scheduled at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate. During this interview, consular officers will assess the applicant’s eligibility for the visa. If approved, the individual will be granted permanent resident status and receive a Green Card, permitting lawful residence and employment in the United States.
Applicants who have misplaced their confirmation numbers can retrieve them using the “Forgot Confirmation Number” tool available on the DV Lottery website.
The visa issuance period runs from October 1, 2025, to September 30, 2026. Those who do not complete the process within this window will lose their eligibility for the DV-2026 programme. The U.S. Embassy urges all participants to rely on official sources and avoid intermediaries or unofficial agents.
