Indians Again Excluded from Green Card Lottery: Here’s Why

The United States Diversity Visa (DV) lottery, also known as the green card lottery, has once again excluded Indian nationals from participating, at least until 2028. The program is meant to promote immigrant diversity by allowing individuals from countries with low immigration rates to the US to apply for permanent residency.

To be eligible, a country must have sent fewer than 50,000 immigrants to the US over the past five years. India, with consistently high migration numbers, has exceeded this threshold. In 2021, 93,450 Indians moved to the US, increasing to 127,010 in 2022. Although the number slightly decreased to 78,070 in 2023, it remains too high for eligibility in the DV program.

Other countries excluded from the 2026 DV lottery include China, South Korea, Canada, and Pakistan. The US State Department updates the list of eligible countries annually based on immigration data.

The DV lottery selects candidates randomly from qualifying countries each year. Selected applicants must meet certain education or work experience requirements and undergo a consular interview to verify their eligibility.

Eligible nations for the 2026 lottery include Nepal, Sri Lanka, and most African countries. The program gives an opportunity to people from low-immigration backgrounds who might not otherwise have access to a US green card.

India will only become eligible again if the number of Indian immigrants to the US falls significantly across a sustained five-year period.

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