Summary
The U.S. State Department now requires a valid passport for entry into the Diversity Visa, or green card lottery, as a way to tighten security and reduce fraud. This change affects how applicants enter the lottery and aims to verify identities sooner in the process.
Key Facts
- The passport rule applies to the Diversity Visa lottery, which offers up to 55,000 visas annually.
- Applicants must be from countries that send few immigrants to the U.S. and meet certain education or work criteria.
- Registration is free and done online during a specific time each year.
- A valid passport is now required at the application stage, along with an upload of its biographic and signature page.
- This change will take effect 30 days after being published in the Federal Register.
- The rule aims to prevent fraud by ensuring applicants’ identities are verified earlier.
- A previous passport requirement was dismissed in 2022 due to procedural errors.
- The rule also updates language in the program to reflect the data collected.
