- The State Department released a 19-country ineligibility list for DV-2026 as visa issuance resumes.
- A total of 129,516 selectees were registered, but the cycle is capped at 52,101 visas.
- DV-2026 eligibility ends on September 30, 2026 for principal applicants and derivatives.
The U.S. Department of State published a 19-country DV-2026 ineligibility list as visa issuance resumes for eligible lottery selectees. The list names 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.
Those countries are excluded from the current Diversity Visa Program cycle. Nigeria also does not appear among the published selectee figures because it is ineligible for the program.
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The department lists 129,516 registered selectees across six regions. The available allocation is smaller: adjustments under NACARA and NDAA reduced the cycle’s limit to 52,101 visas.
The clock is already running. Eligibility ends on September 30, 2026.
A federal court order restored Diversity Visa issuance on August 28, 2026, ending a pause that had remained in place since December 2025. The September 2026 Visa Bulletin again makes visa numbers available to qualified applicants, subject to regional and country limits.
The deadline reaches beyond the principal applicant. It also covers derivative spouses and children.
Regional numbers now determine which cases can move forward
The September bulletin sets the highest case numbers that can proceed in each region. Algeria, Egypt and Nepal have separate country limits.
| Region or country | September cutoff |
|---|---|
| Africa | 101,250 |
| Asia | 40,000 |
| Europe | 47,500 |
| Oceania | 3,000 |
| South America and the Caribbean | 4,750 |
| Algeria | 85,000 |
| Egypt | 50,000 |
| Nepal | 13,500 |
The figures apply through September 30, 2026. The bulletin makes numbers available to qualified applicants while those limits remain in effect.
African country totals run from 5,527 prospective applicants to 2
Figures reported from State Department data show the largest country totals in Africa. Egypt leads with 5,527 prospective applicants, followed by Algeria with 5,457 and Sudan with 5,226.
The published figures include the following country totals:
| Country | Prospective applicants | Country | Prospective applicants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Egypt | 5,527 | Algeria | 5,457 |
| Sudan | 5,226 | Kenya | 3,949 |
| Morocco | 3,670 | Cameroon | 3,533 |
| Ethiopia | 3,287 | Togo | 2,473 |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | 2,210 | Ghana | 1,642 |
| Burundi | 1,616 | Liberia | 1,593 |
| Uganda | 1,513 | Rwanda | 1,252 |
| Benin | 1,064 | Guinea | 1,051 |
| Côte d’Ivoire | 926 | Angola | 763 |
| Sierra Leone | 639 | Chad | 482 |
| Senegal | 478 | Republic of the Congo | 448 |
| Tanzania | 404 | Zimbabwe | 327 |
| Libya | 276 | Mali | 268 |
| Mauritania | 261 | Burkina Faso | 252 |
| Zambia | 236 | Tunisia | 202 |
| Eritrea | 206 | Gambia | 198 |
| South Africa | 187 | Malawi | 159 |
| Niger | 109 | Gabon | 62 |
| Madagascar | 48 | Cabo Verde | 35 |
| Comoros | 12 | Equatorial Guinea | 12 |
| Guinea-Bissau | 10 | Botswana | 7 |
| Lesotho | 6 | Mozambique | 4 |
| Namibia | 3 | Eswatini | 3 |
| Mauritius | 2 | Central African Republic | 19 |
The figures describe prospective applicants, not guaranteed visa issuances. They cover 49 African countries and territories reported in the published data.
The program closes for every family member on September 30
The September 2026 Visa Bulletin keeps numbers available for qualified applicants, but only within the listed regional and country cutoffs. The process must finish before the cycle expires.
DV-2026 status expires on September 30, 2026, and visas cannot be issued after that date.
That deadline applies to principal applicants and their derivative spouses and children. After September 30, 2026, the department cannot issue visas under this cycle.
