US State Department Introduces $1 DV Lottery Registration Fee Starting October 2025

The DV lottery registration fee was changed to an unprecedented amount of $1 DV by the Department of State of the US on October 16, 2025. This is the first time in the program's history that applicants have to pay to participate in the green card lottery that takes place every year and impacts around 25 million applicants across the globe.

New Fee Structure Takes Effect October 16

The diversity visa lottery fee brings an obligatory electronic fee of $1 that must be paid during the online registration on the official US government portal. This is a non-refundable fee that will be incurred by all the participants, irrespective of the outcome of the lottery or the ultimate decision on the visa application.

This is also timed with the next round of DV lottery registration, the DV lottery 2027, which usually opens in early October. The change became active when the State Department published the final rule in the Federal Register on September 16, 2025.

Also Read: A Major Overhaul: The H-1B Visa Program Moves Toward a Wage-Based System

Key Changes to DV Lottery Process

Here are the key changes to the DV lottery process:

Revenue Generation and Cost Distribution

According to projections by the US State Department, the green card lottery program will bring in about 25 million dollars each year. This funding will cater to business operations such as upgrading the system, improving data collection, and assessing the security of the diversity visa program.

It was earlier that the program expenses were loaded on the 55,000 lottery winners who reached the visa application phase. The new fee system would spread costs among all 25 million annual registrants, making the model of cost sharing more fair.

Administrative Benefits of the Fee

The diversity visa lottery fee has several administrative functions as well as revenue generation:

• Reduction of Frauds: The cost can deter fraudulent third-party scammers from making several entries that are not genuine.

• System Improvements: Technology improvements and security are funded by revenue.

• Processing Efficiency: The reduction of specious registrations would decrease the administrative workload.

Also Read: US Proposes Stricter Identity Verification for Green Card Lottery Applicants

Impact on Global Applicants

The first economic impediment to participation in the program is the DV lottery registration fee, which may influence millions of would-be immigrants. Another factor that might be difficult to overcome is restricted access to electronic payment systems and currency conversion fees for applicants from countries with low economic opportunities.

Regional Considerations

Here are some regional considerations to keep in mind:

Even with these issues, the one-dollar fee is not very high compared to the rest of the immigration costs. The State Department has maintained that the fundamental objective of the diversity visa program, which is to foster diversity in immigration, is the same.

Application Process Changes

Since October 16, 20,25, all DV lottery applicants must make electronic payments by registering. The payment should be made using the approved government portals in the US at the time of entry submission.

The application fee for the chosen individuals will be the same, which is $330. Still, some administrative expenses previously borne by the application fee are now incorporated into the registration fee.

Payment Requirements and Security

The cost of the green card lottery should not be left unprepared, so the applicants should ensure they have access to accepted electronic payment options. The State Department stresses that it should only use official channels and not third-party services, which could be fraudulent and could take advantage of the new payment requirement.

Every international applicant must confirm with the respective banks the possible transaction costs in making payments to the US government.

Historical Context and Policy Implications

The diversity visa lottery fee continues an overall trend of fee increment in US immigration services. This change imposes more costs on the applicants and fewer governmental subsidies on immigration programs.

The shift conforms to the existing government policies concerning the higher level of immigration control and user-funded governmental services. According to immigration experts, this represents a radical change in the manner in which the costs of the programs are distributed in the US immigration system.

Expected Program Changes

The State Department also expects a minor decrease in demand with the DV lottery registration fee, which may increase the chances of remaining applicants, besides reducing the administrative burden on processing. The extra revenue will enhance the security and efficiency of the program, and it may also result in shorter processing times.

Preparation Guidelines for Future Applicants

Future diversity visa applicants must ensure that they have reliable electronic payment methods to pay the new fee in advance during registration periods. The Federal Register and official means will be used to declare the precise dates of registration in 2027 by the State Department.

Also Read: US Proposes Mandatory Passport Scans for Diversity Visa 2026 Lottery Applications

Essential Preparation Steps

Here are some essential preparation steps to keep in mind:

• Checks on accepted payment methods by the US government.

• International transaction fee policies by check banks.

• Create the necessary documentation and digital photographs beforehand.

• Allowance on registration and registration fee possibilities.

• Observing notifications by the official State Department on registration dates.

The registration fee for the DV lottery is a significant milestone in the immigration policy in the US, as it will bring cost implications in the program that can alter participation trends and bring in a lot of revenue to implement improvements in the program.

Conclusion

The proposed new cost of the diversity visa program is a radical change in the pricing system of the diversity visa program, which will impact millions of applicants worldwide as of October 16, 2025. The fee will serve as a minor financial impediment. Still, it will enhance efficiency within the program, decrease fraud, and spread the operational costs more fairly across the participants. This shift can be seen as a consequence of larger trends in US immigration policy of user-funded services and heightened program scrutiny. Contact TerraTern for more information!