USA introduces application fee for green card lottery for the first time

Washington D.C., September 16, 2025 - The U.S. Department of State has published a new rule that will impose a one-dollar electronic application fee for participation in the Diversity Visa Lottery (DV Lottery) beginning October 16, 2025. The measure is part of the official Schedule of Fees for Consular Services and applies to all online applications for the Green Card lottery - regardless of country or continent of origin.

Participation no longer completely free of charge

The previous free registration for the GreenCard lottery will therefore be subject to a fee for the first time - albeit only a small one. From October 16, a US dollar must be paid when submitting the application digitally. The fee is non-refundable and must be paid again each year if you wish to participate again in subsequent years.

For applicants who are drawn in the lottery and enter the visa process, the separate green card application fee of 330 US dollars remains unchanged.

Reasoning of the US government

According to the US State Department, the new fee is intended to help distribute the costs of the DV program more fairly. Previously, the entire system was co-financed by the subsequent winners of the lottery. The new regulation means that all participants - including non-winners - will now share in the administrative costs.

Another aspect: the measure is intended to help curb multiple registrations and fraudulent entries. The US authorities expect the introduction to generate around 25 million US dollars in additional revenue per year, which is attributable to around 25 million applications last year.

Possible impact on the number of applicants

Even if the new fee is comparatively low at one US dollar, it could represent a real hurdle for participants from countries with limited access to online payment methods or currency restrictions. In particular, people from economically weaker regions could be excluded from participating in the future.

One side effect, which critics suspect is also intended, is a reduction in the number of applicants. The State Department itself assumes that there will be a significant decrease, which should statistically increase the individual chances of winning.

Effects on official advice centers

For participants who register via an government approved service center such as www.the-american-dream.com, the new regulation does not change the previous participation fees. The symbolic fee of USD 1 will be paid by the agency and is already included in the existing service.

The American Dream is an approved emigration counseling agency based in Berlin and has been assisting GreenCard applicants from Germany and Europe since 1996.

Background: The Diversity Visa Lottery

The Diversity Visa Lottery is an annual US government program that awards up to 55,000 green cards worldwide to individuals from countries that are historically underrepresented in US immigration statistics. The goal is to promote cultural and ethnic diversity among US immigrants.

Registration is done exclusively online through the official U.S. Department of State website or through authorized agencies. The entry deadline for this year's lottery (DV-2027) will be announced shortly.

The American Dream - US GreenCard Service GmbH
Danckelmannstr. 9
14059 Berlin
Germany

https://www.americandream.de

Herr Holger Zimmermann
+49 30-3982040-41

hz@americandream.de

The American Dream is a government approved emigration counseling center based in Berlin and has been assisting Green Card applicants from Germany and Europe since 1996, making it the world's oldest institution still in existence for the US Green Card lottery. In addition to this service, advice is also offered in all other areas of entry into the USA with the various types of visas.

This release was published on openPR.