US Proposes Mandatory Passport Scans for Diversity Visa 2026 Lottery Applications

The US State Department has introduced vital reforms to its diversity visa program, which states that all applicants will be expected to scan their passports once they apply to participate in the 2026 lottery. The proposal of this rule is the most significant change in the Green Card lottery system in recent years, where many fraud issues have been evident to an extent that the program has been marred.

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What's Changing in the Diversity Visa Program?

Under the proposed regulations, as part of the requirement to request the scan of a passport with a Diversity Visa, all Diversity Visa passport scan requirement applicants will be required to provide a valid and unexpired passport number and upload a digital scan of the biographical and signature pages of their new passport. This will be a significant change in the current processes, as nothing in terms of passport documentation is required during the immediate lottery entry.

Under this change, the State Department estimates around 25 million anticipated entries worldwide and an estimated compliance cost of around 38 million dollars. The mean price of a passport of DV-eligible countries has been estimated at USD 74.43, generating a financial impediment rebuffed as an essential measure against systematic fraud by the authorities.

Technical Requirements for Passport Scanning

When submitting passport scans, special technical requirements have to be met by the applicants:

• File Format: JPEG -only format

• File Size: Scans up to 5 MB

• Content: bright pictures of biographical and signature pages

• Validity: Passport is to be unexpired and valid

According to the State Department, most entrants can scan their passports in no time with one picture taken with a mobile phone. Nonetheless, those applicants who do not have access to scanning technology have the opportunity to use libraries, community centres, internet cafes, and copy shops.

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Why The State Department is Implementing These Changes?

The rationale behind the proposed Diversity Visa passport scan is that several fraud problems have undermined the program's integrity. The State Department singled out various alarming patterns:

Fraud Ring Operations

Some countries like Bangladesh, Ukraine, Cambodia, and Moldova have criminal organisations that have taken advantage of the current system by making fictitious entries and getting the real applicants to give in by extortionists. Among the prominent cases that the Embassy of Kyiv dealt with was that of a travel agency-related fraud ring that forced the Ukrainians into paying up to 15,000 dollars to recover their application information.

Identity Theft

Scammers are gaining access to people, registering them in the lottery without their knowledge, and afterwards seeking funds after winning. Such schemes will become considerably harder due to the requirement for a passport.

Document Falsification

The inability to verify identity in the current system has made the later verification process of documents widely filled with fraudulent documents.

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Impact on Duplicate Entries and Program Integrity

The success of the passport requirement can be proven by historical evidence that it has deterred fraud. When a similar rule was implemented between 2021 and 2023, disqualification based on entry duplicates drastically reduced to 760,079 in fiscal year 2022 compared to 2.5 million in the fiscal year 2025.

According to US immigration law, the passport verification system will also allow earlier party determination of the place of birth of an applicant, thereby making the applicant chargeable to a country. At this point, entrants are entitled to decide on their choice of foreign state of chargeability, which leads to the possibility of a misrepresentation.

Limited Exemptions to the Passport Requirement

Within the proposed rule, there are particular exemptions:

• Stateless Individuals: People who lack accepted citizenship

• Communist-Controlled Countries: People who could not get passports because of political restrictions

• Official Waivers: Applicants who possess US government waivers

According to these exemptions, the rule should not be unfair to the applicants with good reasons who might be in unique circumstances out of their control.

Implementation Timeline and Process

The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking appeared in the Federal Register on August 5, 2025, and a comment period followed, 45 days. The State Department will consider all the comments before the regulations are approved. The Diversity Visa passport scan requirement will be implemented in the coming DV-2026 program, which usually opens in October every year to receive entries. The complete regulatory process could take several months before full implementation; thus, the current DV-2025 applicants are unaffected by the proposed changes.

National Security and Compliance Considerations

The passport requirement is in line with Executive Order 14161, which guides the federal agencies to verify identities as they vet them out. This adherence guarantees that the Diversity Visa program is aligned with the greater security standards enacted in all government immigration schemes.

The cross-check of passport data or details will help the consular officers in:

• Check names in local scripts

• Authenticate signatures

• Identify the passport problems that would point to fraud

• More background screening is enforced

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Comparison of Current vs. Proposed Requirements

Cost Analysis and Global Impact

Effects on Different Applicant Categories

Preparing for the New Requirements

It rewards applicants who would like to participate in the DV-2026. They should start preparing as soon as possible:

• Have a Valid Passport: To simplify the application and possible interview process, the applicant must ensure that the passport will be valid during the transaction. In certain countries, the processing of new passports may take several months.

• Practice Scanning: Test your scanning device and internet connection well before the commencement of the lottery. Scans of poor quality will mean automatic disqualification.

• Verify Information: Confirm that all passport information corresponds precisely with the intended application information because differences will result in rejection.

• Backup Plans: Find backup scanning places if your desired one does not work by the time you want it during registration time.

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Conclusion

The recent Diversity Visa passport scan requirement is an essential transformation in the US, regulating its most open pathway to immigration. Although these changes will hinder some applicants, they reduce valid security concerns and fraud deterrence requirements that have compromised program integrity. Potential entrants should adequately prepare for these new requirements to ensure that they can continue participating in the 2026 Green Card lottery. Find out more with TerraTern!