Now playing for a Green Card will cost money

The US Department of State has announced that starting September 16, 2025, all individuals participating in the Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery, also known as the “Green Card Lottery,” will be required to pay a $1 electronic registration fee. This marks the first time participants will be charged to enter the annual lottery.

According to the Department, the purpose of the change is to spread the costs of administering the DV Lottery more equitably among all participants, rather than only among selected applicants. The new policy will take effect before the registration process for the 2027 DV Lottery.

Key details of the new fee include:

•  $1 registration fee: All applicants must pay $1 when submitting an electronic application through the official US government website. Payment will be processed via a designated government portal.
•  Application fee unchanged: The $330 DV application fee for selected applicants remains the same. However, part of the administrative costs previously covered by this fee will now be funded through the registration fee.
•  Non-refundable: The $1 registration fee is non-refundable regardless of the outcome and cannot be carried over to future years.

The DV Lottery awards up to 55,000 visas each year to applicants from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States. In recent years, tens of millions of applications have been submitted annually, leading to significant administrative costs.

According to the State Department, with around 25 million participants per year, the new fee structure will generate approximately $25 million annually for DV Lottery operations. The additional funds will be used for system upgrades, data collection, and enhanced security checks. Officials also noted that the fee could deter fraudsters who submit large numbers of fake applications.

The measure is part of a broader trend of rising fees across US immigration services, with a larger share of costs being shifted to applicants. While the $1 fee may slightly reduce the number of applications, it could improve efficiency, shorten processing times, and increase the chances of genuine applicants.

However, the policy also creates a new financial barrier for millions of people. In some countries, access to electronic payment systems or the added costs of currency exchange may make participation more difficult. Critics note that even a small fee could limit access for applicants from less developed regions, undermining the program’s stated goal of increasing diversity in immigration.

The new $1 fee is a relatively minor change in financial terms, but one with significant implications: it may enhance efficiency and reduce fraud, while at the same time restricting participation for some of the very groups the program was designed to help.