New guidelines for Variety Visa: Legitimate, unexpired passport required for candidates for combatting fraud
The State Division launched the ultimate guidelines for the Inexperienced Card lottery or the Variety Visa program, bringing again the measures launched underneath the primary Trump administration. Candidates for the Inexperienced Card lottery will now require a legitimate and unexpired passport from their dwelling nation earlier than coming into the lottery, starting final month. The brand new guidelines will come into impact after a month. Beneath the brand new guidelines, each DV program applicant should present
- info from a legitimate, unexpired passport
- add a JPEG scan of the passport’s biographic web page and signature web page when submitting the digital entry kind (DS-5501)
What’s the Variety Visa program?
It’s the Inexperienced Card lottery program via which about 55,000 candidates can grow to be Inexperienced Card holders within the US. This can be a random computerized lottery and is separate from the opposite classes of Inexperienced Card. It’s meant for international locations which have decrease illustration within the US. So individuals from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, Mexico, the Philippines, Brazil, Nigeria and South Korea cannot participate on this lottery. The division mentioned that the brand new guidelines will ensure that there isn’t a fraud in this system. With a legitimate passport quantity, people from ineligible international locations cannot pretend their nationality. There have been cases of felony enterprises misusing the visa program and submitting entries within the title of a person. In 2025 lottery, the division mentioned it found 2.5 million fraud entries. Elaborate scams have been happening over this Inexperienced Card lottery as third events contact people and inform them that they’ve a possibility to use for US Inexperienced Card, however they must pay a big payment or take part in fraudulent actions for extra particulars. In accordance with analysis performed by the Visa Workplace of the Division’s Bureau of Consular Affairs, the common worth of a passport in international locations which might be eligible to take part within the DV Program is $74.43. Candidates should spend this cash for the nationwide safety of the US.