The U.S. Department of State has published a final rule requiring passport details for all Diversity Immigrant Visa lottery entries starting with the DV-2027 cycle.
The rule, which took effect on April 10, 2026, introduces tighter security measures designed to strengthen vetting processes and combat widespread fraud in the programme.
Under the new requirements, applicants must provide information from a valid, unexpired passport when submitting their electronic lottery entry online.
Entrants must also upload a scan of their passport’s biographic and signature pages as part of the registration process.
The Department of State identified approximately 2.5 million fraudulent entries in the DV-2025 programme alone, highlighting the scale of the problem the rule seeks to address.
Applicants who qualify for a limited exemption must indicate their eligibility for that exemption at the time of registration, according to the new rule.
The Department said the measures are intended to improve identity verification at the registration stage and reduce fraudulent, duplicate, and unauthorised entries into the lottery.
The final rule also includes several technical amendments to existing regulations, such as replacing the term “gender” with “sex” and “age” with “date of birth” throughout the relevant provisions.
The word “shall” has also been added in various provisions to provide clearer guidance and promote greater consistency in adjudications across the programme.
Immigration lawyers are advising prospective DV-2027 applicants to ensure their passport is valid, unexpired, and renewed well ahead of the registration window opening.
Applicants are also being urged to maintain a clear electronic copy of their passport’s biographic and signature pages in preparation for the upcoming registration period.
Those planning to participate should carefully review all DV-2027 registration instructions, including exemption criteria and any updated filing requirements published by the State Department.