- A new rule requires passport scans and a $1 registration fee for DV-2027 entries.
- The mandate aims to combat large-scale fraud and automated bulk entries in the lottery.
- Implementation begins April 10, 2026, applying to the DV-2027 cycle specifically.
(UNITED STATES) A new final rule will change how people enter the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, adding a passport scan upload and a $1 fee to the online entry. The rule is effective April 10, 2026, and the State Department says it will start applying these changes with DV-2027, not DV-2026.
The aim is simple: tighten identity checks and cut down on large-scale fraud that has flooded recent entry cycles. The rule also updates wording inside the entry system so the data applicants type at the start matches what officers use later, during screening and interviews.
The State Department published the final rule in the Federal Register on March 10–11, 2026. Readers can review the official text in the Federal Register notice, “[Visas: Enhancing Vetting and Combatting Fraud in the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/03/11/2026-04737/visas-enhancing-vetting-and-combatting-fraud-in-the-diversity-immigrant-visa-program),” which explains how the regulations were amended and when each change starts.
What the final rule changes,
The rule amends DV regulations to standardize identity collection, strengthen vetting, and reduce duplicate or fraudulent entries. It modernizes some terminology, adds more mandatory “shall” language for consular processing, and builds a clearer paper trail from entry to visa decision.
A key point for families and first-time entrants: the practical effect depends on the program year. Publication in 2026 does not automatically mean every pending DV case changes overnight, because DV selection and issuance run on fixed yearly timelines.
DV-2027 entry workflow: what to expect from start to finish
For DV-2027, the entry step will look more like a short online filing than a simple “lottery click.” Expect more time at a computer, more document preparation, and less room for last-minute fixes once the window closes.
The entry still begins on the official State Department DV site, where the government posts opening and closing dates and the online portal. Use only the official portal at dvprogram.state.gov, because that is where legitimate entries are submitted and where selectees later check results.
Step 1: Prepare your passport before the entry window opens
Under the new rule, entrants must have a valid, unexpired passport at the moment they submit the online entry, unless they qualify for a narrow exemption. The State Department is tying the entry to a real-world identity document to block mass submissions under recycled names.
The rule requires passport information including the passport serial or issuance number, the country or authority of issuance, and the expiration date. These data points support identity screening and help the government spot duplicates that were harder to detect when entries relied on fewer unique identifiers.
Step 2: Scan the passport correctly and upload it during entry
DV-2027 entries will require an upload of a scan of the passport biographic page and signature page directly into the entry. The rule is specific about the file type and size, and errors here can turn into an invalid entry.
The upload must be in Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) File Interchange Format (JFIF), and PDF files will not be accepted. The scanned image must be no more than 5 megabytes (MB). The keyword phrase “Joint Photographic Exper” appears in many online discussions, but the rule itself points applicants to the JPEG standard and the JFIF format requirement.
Step 3: Pay the $1 electronic registration fee during the same session
The final rule adds an electronic registration fee of $1, collected at the time of entry. The fee is processed through the Treasury Department’s Pay.gov platform, which the rule describes as a secure payment channel.
This fee, introduced in September 2025, is designed to add friction for bots and bulk-submitters. For legitimate entrants, it means the entry is no longer a purely “no-payment” interaction, so payment access becomes part of readiness along with photos and civil documents.
Limited passport exemptions: who they cover and how they work
The passport rule is strict, but not absolute. The final rule lists specific exemptions for people who truly cannot obtain passports, and the categories are narrow by design.
Exemptions include legally stateless entrants, and nationals of Communist-controlled countries who cannot get passports from their governments. A third path exists through an individual waiver approved by the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of State, a high bar that signals the government expects waivers to be rare.
In practical terms, an exemption does not waive DV eligibility rules. It only changes what the entrant must provide at entry time, and it raises the stakes for accurate documentation later, because the government will still need to establish identity through other records.
Why the government says it is doing this: fraud patterns and past cases
The State Department built the final rule around a documented fraud problem: mass entries filed by third parties without consent, often paired with extortion for the confirmation number. The confirmation number is the key to checking selection results, so bad actors can pressure victims after the entry window closes.
In DV-2025, the State Department says it discovered 2.5 million fraudulent entries. Earlier examples cited in the rule and supporting discussion show how concentrated fraud can become when automation meets weak identity controls.
One example: in 2012, authorities found a single IP address in Bangladesh linked to more than 634,000 entries. Another: in 2013, an organized fraud ring in Ukraine demanded up to $15,000 for confirmation numbers or forced selectees into sham marriages. A similar Cambodian ring in 2023 charged selected applicants between $5,000 and $30,000.
According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, the passport-and-upload requirement is meant to raise the cost of bulk fraud by forcing scammers to collect real passport images, not just biographic details copied from lists.
Wording changes on the form: “sex” and “date of birth”
The rule also changes what applicants see and enter on the DS-5501 Electronic Diversity Visa Entry Form. “Gender” is replaced with “sex,” and the rule ties the definition to Executive Order 14168, stating sex means biological sex at birth, with male and female as the only options.
“Age” is replaced with “date of birth.” That sounds small, but it reduces ambiguity and helps match the entry to later records used in screening. Small inconsistencies at entry can create bigger problems later, when a consular officer compares the entry record to passports, civil documents, and security checks.
Time, cost, and real-life burden for entrants
The State Department acknowledges added burden. Two steps drive most of it: getting or renewing a passport, and completing scanning, uploading, and payment during the entry session.
Based on Visa Office research, the State Department estimates the average passport price in DV-eligible countries is $74.43. The government also increased the estimated time to complete an entry from 30 minutes to 90 minutes, reflecting travel to scanning equipment, the scan and upload process, and entering payment details.
With an estimated 10 million annual entrants, the rule’s paperwork hour adds up to a total global time-cost burden calculated at $45,600,000. For many households, the bigger issue is timing: passport processing in some countries takes weeks or months, while DV entry windows are short.
Timeline clarity: DV-2026 continues under the old instructions
The final rule starts April 10, 2026, but implementation begins with DV-2027. That distinction matters most for people already in the DV-2026 pipeline, including selectees preparing interviews or adjustment filings.
DV-2026 entries were accepted October 2 to November 7, 2024, under prior instructions. Up to 55,000 visas are available for DV-2026, and the law requires issuance by September 30, 2026, which is the end of that program year.
What “selection” means, and why it is not the same as a visa
The DV process has multiple gates: entry, selection, document review, interview scheduling, security checks, and finally visa issuance or adjustment. Selection only means the person may apply for a visa number, and delays in later steps can still prevent issuance before the yearly deadline.
As of March 11, 2026, DV-2026 selection and processing continue, and applicants use the official confirmation-number check system at dvprogram.state.gov. The rule’s fraud focus also reinforces a basic safety point: legitimate DV communications do not require paying a third party to “release” a confirmation number.
Criticisms and likely effects for DV-2027 entrants
Critics argue the passport mandate will block low-income entrants in regions where passports are costly or hard to obtain quickly, including parts of Africa and Asia that have historically been central to DV participation. They also argue the added steps compress preparation into a short entry window.
The State Department counters that the benefits include fewer automated entries, fewer duplicates, and cleaner identity vetting from day one. For applicants, the most practical shift is that DV-2027 entry becomes a document-and-payment task that rewards early preparation and punishes last-minute uploading errors.
