Why Indians Can’t Enter the US Green Card Lottery

The U.S. State Department has released the latest update for the Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery 2026 in its November visa bulletin. India does not feature among the eligible countries from Asia. Other notable Asian countries not included are Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, and South Korea. Meanwhile, eligible countries include Afghanistan, Bhutan, Iran, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and several others with low immigration rates to the U.S.

The Diversity Visa Lottery program allocates up to 55,000 permanent resident visas annually to individuals from countries that have historically low levels of immigration to the U.S. According to the latest bulletin, about 129,516 individuals—including selectees, their spouses, and children—have been registered for FY2026 and may be eligible to apply for an immigrant visa.

Those selected were chosen randomly from a pool of over 20.8 million qualified entries submitted between October 2 and November 7, 2024. Although 55,000 visas are available, more individuals are selected to account for those who may not qualify or complete the process. During the visa interview, applicants must present proof of a high school education or equivalent, or two years of work experience in a qualifying occupation.

India is not eligible for the 2026 Diversity Visa as the program is designed for countries with historically low immigration numbers to the United States. Countries with higher immigration rates, like India, are automatically excluded from the annual eligibility list.

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