Federal Register Notice for 55,000 U.S. Green Card Lottery Riddled with Errors, Causing Confusion

The Diversity Visa (DV) program has faced several challenges and criticisms in recent years due to issues in its administration by the U.S. State Department. The latest concerns stem from multiple errors in the U.S. State Department’s Federal Register notice regarding the DV-2026 lottery . Several mistakes in this year’s notice have caused confusion among potential applicants.

The online registration period for the DV-2026 Program began on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) and will close on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST).

However, the Federal Register notice incorrectly states, “Applicants must submit entries for the DV-2026 program electronically at dvprogram.state.gov between 12:00 p.m. (noon), Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (GMT-4), Wednesday, October 4, 2023, and 12:00 p.m. (noon), Eastern Standard Time (EST) (GMT-5), Tuesday, November 7, 2023.” This error references incorrect dates from 2023, causing confusion for applicants.

Furthermore, the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section of the notice repeats this mistake, stating, “The DV-2026 entry period will run from 12:00 p.m. (noon), Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (GMT-4), Wednesday, October 4, 2024, until 12:00 p.m. (noon), Eastern Standard Time (EST) (GMT-5), Tuesday, November 7, 2024.”

The registration will not begin on October 4, and October 4, 2024, is neither a Wednesday nor is November 7 a Tuesday. Additionally, the notice repeatedly cites November 7 as the deadline for DV-2026 registration, though the correct deadline is November 5, as confirmed by a State Department spokesperson. The notice also incorrectly labels November 7 as a Tuesday, when it is, in fact, a Thursday. At least three instances of these errors concerning the registration period have been identified throughout the Federal Register notice.

A State Department source has since acknowledged these errors, stating, “We are aware of the mistakes in the Federal Register notice and are working to correct them.”

Another significant error in the notice concerns the DV-2026 results. While the correct date for entrants to check their status is May 3, 2025, the notice erroneously mentions, “Starting May 4, 2025, you will be able to check the status of your entry by returning to dvprogram.state.gov.”

This error is repeated in several places, including, “Entrant Status Check will be available on the E-DV website at dvprogram.state.gov from May 4, 2025, through at least September 30, 2026.” These discrepancies have been noted at least six times throughout the Federal Register notice.

The numerous mistakes in the Diversity Visa instructions for DV-2026 have raised concerns among applicants. As one potential participant remarked, “These errors create unnecessary confusion for those of us trying to participate in the program. It’s frustrating.”

This program, managed by the U.S. Department of State, aims to promote immigration from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States, offering up to 55,000 Diversity Visas (DVs) for Fiscal Year 2026. While there is no cost to register, selected applicants will need to pay a visa application fee prior to their formal visa application, where a consular officer will determine eligibility.

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