The United States runs a Diversity Visa (DV) lottery program every year, giving thousands of people from around the world a chance to apply for permanent residency, also known as a green card. Until now, the DV lottery application form has always been free for everyone.
However, this is about to change. The US State Department has announced that applicants will now need to pay a small fee of one US dollar when submitting the form. The new rule was published in the Federal Register, the official record of government decisions.
According to the department, the fee is being introduced to reduce fraud and to distribute administrative costs fairly among all applicants.
This change will take effect from the DV 2027 program, which opens in October 2025.
Other requirements of the DV lottery remain the same. A valid passport is still necessary to apply, and winners must continue to pay the visa fee of 330 US dollars during the final process.
How to pay DV application fee?
The State Department has said that it will soon release detailed information on how to make the payment and which countries the rule will apply to. For now, it has been confirmed that applicants must pay the fee online through the official US government portal at the time of form submission. The form will not be accepted without payment.
Payment methods will include international options such as Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, and American Express. For applicants in Nepal, the most practical choices are Visa and MasterCard issued by local banks. Still, applicants are advised to check the international payment limits of their cards before applying.
