DV-2027 Entry Checklist: Passport, Photos, Fees and Next Steps

This page also cites law firm commentary, marked below. Commentary is not official policy.

Registration is paused. Prepare your files now, and check the registration status above before entering. This checklist separates entry documents from the records and expenses needed only if selected. Entry, selection, a visa and a physical green card are different steps.

Is DV-2027 opening on November 1? No, an appeals court paused it

• On October 29, 2026, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals put the order to open registration on hold while the government appeals. That order had required registration to open on November 1, 2026.
• No new opening date has been announced.
• Do not use old DV-2026 dates as DV-2027 dates.

The October 21 amended injunction in Red Eagle Law, L.C. v. Rubio had set the timetable below. The appeals court's pause suspends it:

• October 29, 2026: deadline to announce registration details (on hold).
• November 1, 2026: deadline to open a 30-day entry period (on hold).
• December 3, 2026: deadline to notify selected entrants (on hold).
• September 30, 2027: end of the DV-2027 visa year. Selection does not reserve a visa beyond that deadline.

• The government appealed on October 19.
• The district judge refused to pause the order on October 21, so the government asked the Ninth Circuit.
• News reports say the appeals court granted the pause on October 29 and found the law firm that sued unlikely to win, while saying it was not approving the decision to keep registration closed.
• The appeal is not over, so dates can change again.
• Check the official announcement before relying on any date.

• Use dvprogram.state.gov to enter and check selection.
• Read travel.state.gov for instructions.
• Both are linked in Sources below.
• Case Album does not accept DV entries, collect government fees or improve your selection chances.

Before preparing an entry: check these two qualifications

• Country eligibility: normally based on your country of birth, not where you live or which passport you hold. Limited spouse or parent exceptions exist. Use the DV-2027 eligible-country list when published; a previous year's list is not a substitute.
• Education or work, for the principal entrant: a qualifying high school education comparable to a completed U.S. elementary and secondary course, or two years of qualifying work experience in the last five years. Not every job qualifies. The State Department uses O*NET Job Zone 4 or 5 and a Specific Vocational Preparation rating of 7.0 or higher for the work route. A GED is not equivalent for this purpose. A spouse and children do not each have to meet the principal entrant's education/work requirement.

Entry checklist: the information and files to have ready

• The list below combines the current passport rule with the State Department's existing entry instructions.
• Final DV-2027 instructions control the actual form and upload specifications. Do not assume that every civil document listed later must be uploaded at registration.

• Your full legal name, in the spelling required by the form and passport, including family name and given names; indicate honestly if you have no middle name.
• Sex, date of birth, city/town of birth and country of birth. Prepare your spouse's and each required child's names and birth details too.
• The country under which you claim eligibility, with a valid basis if it differs from your birth country.
• Your current country of residence, mailing details, an email account you control, optional telephone information if requested, and nearest U.S. embassy or consulate information requested by the current rule.
• Your highest completed education level and accurate current marital status. Do not describe an unmarried partner as a spouse.
• The number of qualifying children, and the required information for each one. Check the family rules below before submitting.
• A separate recent digital photograph of you, your spouse and each child who must be listed. A family group photograph is not a substitute.
• The principal entrant's valid, unexpired passport, its number, name, issuing country/authority and expiration date, plus the required scan.
• A way to pay the official $1 registration fee through the official entry process. Follow the published DV-2027 payment instructions when available.

Passport scan: a separate file from your photograph

• The March 2026 final rule requires the principal entrant to provide passport information and a scan of the biographic and signature page, in JPEG/JFIF format, no larger than 5 MB.
• If the signature is on another page, follow the entry instructions for supplying it.
• A PDF passport scan is not the specified format.
• Limited passport exemptions exist; do not claim one merely because renewal is inconvenient.
• Read the rule and final DV-2027 instructions if an exemption may apply.

Photo checklist: prepare these for every required person

• A color photograph taken within the last six months, showing the person's current appearance. Do not reuse an old lottery-entry photo.
• A clear, front-facing image with a plain white or off-white background. Keep the full face visible; follow the official head-position and expression rules.
• No eyeglasses. Religious head coverings may be allowed if they do not hide the face; ordinary hats are not acceptable.
• Prepare a square JPEG. The existing DV instructions specify 600 × 600 pixels and no more than 240 KB. Confirm these against the final DV-2027 validator before submitting. The 5 MB passport allowance does not apply to a portrait photo.
• Do not beautify the face, use AI to invent or alter facial features, or submit a scan of an identity-document photograph. Use the official photo examples, not a paid tool's promise of acceptance.

Spouse and children: avoid an omission that can disqualify you

• Follow the official family definitions even when a relative will not immigrate or lives elsewhere.
• Generally, list your legal spouse and all living, unmarried children under 21, including biological children, legally adopted children and stepchildren.
• The instructions have exceptions for U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident relatives and legally separated spouses.
• If those apply, read the exact rule rather than guessing.
• A child's later age eligibility may need individual review.

• Each eligible spouse may submit one separate entry, listing the other spouse and all required children.
• That does not permit two entries for the same person.
• Do not add a friend as a spouse or omit a child to simplify the form.
• A genuine later marriage or birth is handled with supporting documents after selection; it does not excuse a relative omitted when the entry was filed.

When registration opens: the steps to finish and save

1. Open the official DV-2027 instructions, confirm eligibility, dates and upload rules, then go to dvprogram.state.gov.
2. Enter the requested details yourself or watch every field if someone helps. Check names, dates, spouse, children, passport data and the actual selected photos before submitting.
3. Make the official registration payment as instructed and submit one entry. Never pay someone for a guaranteed selection.
4. Save the confirmation page and confirmation number immediately, both as a file and a separate backup. Keep control of the email account and confirmation details; do not let an agent hold them for ransom.
5. Check results yourself in Entrant Status Check when DV-2027 results become available. An email saying you have won is not proof of selection. Do not send money through a message claiming to release your prize.

If selected: DS-260, case numbers and the interview queue

• Selected does not mean approved. Read your selection instructions, record the DV case number, and submit Form DS-260 for each person applying for an immigrant visa.
• Have passports, parents' details, family records, and the address, education, employment and travel histories requested by the form available.
• Save each DS-260 confirmation page.

• The Visa Bulletin, your case's regional rank number, processing and visa availability affect scheduling.
• Sending the DS-260 quickly does not guarantee an appointment or visa.
• Review your interview details through Entrant Status Check.
• Under the State Department's current guidance for DV-2024 and later, supporting documents are not routinely sent to KCC; prepare them for the interview and follow any specific official instructions you receive.
• Do not mail originals to KCC.

• If you are already in the United States, adjustment of status through USCIS is a different route with its own eligibility, forms and fees.
• This article's interview and travel budget describes consular processing abroad, not an I-485 budget.
• Selection does not authorize unlawful stay or employment.

Interview document checklist: build a folder for each applicant

• Bring originals or the required certified copies, photocopies and required translations.
• Use your embassy's DV checklist and the State Department's Reciprocity and Civil Documents by Country pages to identify the correct issuing authority, document format and exceptions.
• This is a conditional checklist: military, divorce, adoption and criminal records apply only when relevant.
• No single worldwide list replaces the instructions for your interview post.

• Appointment and application: printed interview information from Entrant Status Check and the DS-260 confirmation page for each applicant.
• Passports: valid passports for everyone applying, generally valid for six months beyond intended U.S. entry, unless an applicable country-specific exception changes that requirement.
• Photographs: two identical visa photographs per applicant meeting the interview photo rules.
• Birth records: long-form birth certificates showing date and place of birth and parentage. If unobtainable, follow the country guidance for an official nonavailability statement and permitted secondary evidence; do not substitute a self-written note.
• Marriage and previous marriages: marriage certificate, and final divorce decrees, annulment records or death certificates ending each earlier marriage for either spouse, as applicable.
• Children and family changes: adoption decrees, custody records or other relationship documents required for your circumstances, plus records of any marriage or birth after entry. Check the post's rules for a minor travelling without a parent.
• Principal applicant's qualification: school completion certificate/diploma and transcripts demonstrating the qualifying education, or employment records demonstrating the qualifying occupation, duties and two years of experience within the required five-year period. A CV alone is not a substitute for proof.
• Police certificates: for applicants aged 16 or over, check the nationality country if you lived there for more than six months; a different current-residence country after more than six months if you were 16 or over at that time; other former countries after more than 12 months if you were 16 or over then; and any country of arrest regardless of age at arrest or length of stay. No U.S. police certificate is required for U.S. residence. Check the official table, country exceptions and certificate validity before ordering.
• Court and prison records: certified court dispositions and prison records if convicted, even after a pardon or amnesty; bring other arrest/case records if your embassy requires them.
• Military records: records of military service if you served, subject to country-specific availability rules.
• Translations: certified English translations when documents are not in English or the official language of the interview country, and any additional translations required by the post. The translator must certify accuracy and competence. Bring the original language document too.
• Medical examination and vaccines: results from the embassy's authorized panel physician, plus vaccination records and any health records the physician requests. Keep a medical envelope sealed if one is issued; some physicians transmit results directly.
• Financial evidence when requested: evidence of available funds, employment or support relevant to your circumstances and post's instructions. If a formal supporter is needed for a DV case, the applicable form may be I-134 with supporting income records, not an automatic requirement for every entrant to file I-864. There is no universal guaranteed bank balance in this article.
• Post-specific items and payment: accepted method for the visa fee, passport-return/courier registration confirmation if required, and any additional documents specifically requested by the embassy or consulate.

Medical exam and interview: what happens next

• After scheduling, book the medical exam with an authorized panel physician, not an ordinary doctor of your choice.
• Every visa applicant, including children, needs the required exam.
• Ask that physician for the actual exam, test and vaccination prices and bring the documents on its checklist.
• Do not book the exam months too early without checking validity and interview instructions.

• At the interview, the consular officer reviews eligibility and documents.
• A missing document, administrative processing or refusal may prevent immediate issuance.
• Pay the required visa fee knowing it is nonrefundable even if the visa is refused.
• Selection, payment and attendance do not guarantee approval.
• Check current nationality-specific entry restrictions and visa-issuance guidance as well; the lottery court timetable does not remove other restrictions.

How much does it cost? Government fees and your real budget

• The amounts below are in U.S. dollars, checked against the current State Department fee schedule and USCIS fee regulation.
• Recheck before payment because fees and implementation instructions can change.

• Lottery registration: $1 per entry, through the official process.
• Diversity immigrant visa application: $330 per person applying, including each accompanying spouse or child. This is a later-stage fee, not a registration charge.
• USCIS immigrant fee: $235 per person subject to the fee, after immigrant visa issuance, preferably before travel. It pays for immigrant-packet processing and physical green card production.
• Illustration, not a total trip price: one entry and one visa applicant: $1 + $330 + $235 = $566. One entry and two visa applicants: $1,131. One entry and four visa applicants: $2,261. An eligible spouse's separate entry adds its own $1. These calculations exclude every variable expense below and apply only if each person proceeds to the visa and immigrant-fee stages.

• Before entry: passport application or renewal, digital photos and any necessary scanning. Prices come from your issuing authority or provider.
• After selection: birth/marriage/divorce records, police certificates, court/military records where applicable, certified translations, copying and passport photos. Price each required document in its issuing country.
• Medical: the panel physician's exam, laboratory tests and any required vaccinations, for each family member. Obtain a written price breakdown from the authorized clinic.
• Interview travel: transport, accommodation, meals, possible entry/transit visas for another country and passport-return/courier fees. Include an extra trip or stay if your post or medical process requires it.
• Moving to the United States: airfare for every traveller, baggage, airport transport, any transit requirements, temporary accommodation, a housing deposit, food, health coverage and money for the period before your first paycheque. Get a real fare for your route and travel dates after visas are issued. The DV program does not pay your flights or guarantee a job or housing.

Approved abroad: what you receive before you fly

• You receive your passport with an immigrant visa, not a plastic green card at the embassy.
• Check names and other visa information for mistakes.
• If you receive a sealed immigrant packet, do not open it; follow the consulate's instructions if records are sent electronically instead.
• Pay the USCIS immigrant fee using the official payment service and keep the receipt.

• Only then finalize travel.
• Do not resign, sell your home or buy nonrefundable flights merely because you were selected or interviewed.
• Enter before the visa's printed expiration date, which can be shortened by medical validity; do not assume you always have a fresh six months.
• The principal applicant must enter before or at the same time as derivative family members.
• DV-2027 visas must be issued within the program's legal time limit, but your travel deadline is the expiry printed on your issued visa.

Arrival in America: admission, work and the physical green card

1. Carry your passport with immigrant visa and any required sealed packet in hand luggage. Bring the travel/medical materials the consulate instructed you to carry. An airline ticket or visa is not itself a guarantee of admission; CBP inspects you on arrival.
2. When admitted as a lawful permanent resident, your endorsed immigrant visa serves as temporary I-551 evidence of permanent residence for the period stated on it. You do not have to wait for the plastic card to become a permanent resident or to have the right to work as one.
3. Confirm a reliable U.S. mailing destination for the green card and follow USCIS instructions if it changes. USCIS mails the physical green card inside the United States after admission and payment of the immigrant fee. It is not ordinarily delivered to your home abroad before you move.
4. Track delivery through USCIS. Its published guidance allows up to 90 days after entry if the fee was paid before arrival, or after payment if paid later. This is guidance, not a guaranteed delivery appointment; use USCIS's non-delivery help if the stated period passes.
5. A Social Security number/card is separate from the green card. If you requested an SSN through the immigrant visa process, follow SSA's arrival guidance; otherwise check SSA's application instructions. Keep both documents safe and do not publish images of them online.

Your next step today

• Prepare the passport scan, fresh individual photos and accurate family details.
• Check the official DV-2027 announcement rather than paying an agent to hold a place.
• Save this checklist, but recheck the dated sources before each stage.
• You can prepare carefully without buying a medical exam, interview trip or U.S. flight before it is needed.