New Diversity Visa Lottery Rule Requires Valid Passport

The State Department is bringing back a passport requirement for the Diversity Visa (DV) lottery, a change it says is necessary to reduce fraud and strengthen screening.

Under a final rule released for public inspection on March 10, 2026, applicants will need to enter information from a valid, unexpired passport and upload a scan of the passport’s biographic and signature page when submitting a DV entry. The agency says the changes are meant to enhance vetting and reduce fraud by making it easier to verify an individual’s identity earlier in the process.

The rule takes effect 30 days after publication and will apply to the 2027 Diversity Visa Program.

The Diversity Visa Program makes up to 55,000 immigrant visas available each year to people from countries with relatively low levels of immigration to the United States.

The State Department also acknowledges that the new requirement could create extra costs for some applicants. People who do not already have a valid passport may now need to obtain one before entering the lottery, rather than waiting to see whether they are selected. The rule also notes that some applicants may face added burdens related to scanning and uploading passport documents.

A passport requirement was in place for a limited period in the past, but it was later struck down in E.B. v. Department of State after a federal court found that the government had not followed the required rulemaking procedures when it adopted the earlier version.

In addition to the passport requirement, the updated DV entry form replaces the word “gender” with “sex” and “age” with “date of birth.”

The rule does not mention ending the current pause on diversity visa issuance, which began on December 23, 2025. So while it lays out new rules for future DV entries, it does not announce that diversity visa processing has resumed.

In its responses to public comment, the Department suggests the opening of the 2027 Diversity Visa entry period may be delayed, but doesn’t indicate when that might be. It says deferring the start of the entry period could give applicants more time to obtain passports before registration opens.