The United States Department of State has released the full list of countries whose citizens were registered for the Diversity Visa (DV) 2026 programme, popularly known as the Green Card Lottery.
Dozens of African countries feature on the list of nations whose citizens participated in the programme.
The Kentucky Consular Center in Williamsburg, Kentucky, registered approximately 129,516 prospective applicants, including selected applicants and their accompanying spouses and children.
The figure came after a random selection was conducted from 20,822,624 qualified entries submitted during a 37-day registration period between October 2 and November 7, 2024.
The DV-2026 programme makes approximately 51,850 permanent resident visas available for the 2026 fiscal year, which runs from October 1, 2025, to September 30, 2026.
The number reflects deductions required under provisions of the NACARA and National Defence Authorisation Act.
African Countries on the DV-2026 List
The following African countries were registered for the DV-2026 programme, alongside the number of prospective applicants recorded:
- Algeria — 5,457
- Angola — 763
- Benin — 1,064
- Botswana — 7
- Burkina Faso — 252
- Burundi — 1,616
- Cabo Verde — 35
- Cameroon — 3,533
- Central African Republic — 19
- Chad — 482
- Comoros — 12
- Congo, Democratic Republic of the — 2,210
- Congo, Republic of the — 448
- Côte d’Ivoire — 926
- Djibouti — 204
- Egypt — 5,527
- Equatorial Guinea — 12
- Eritrea — 206
- Eswatini — 3
- Ethiopia — 3,287
- Gabon — 62
- The Gambia — 198
- Ghana — 1,642
- Guinea — 1,051
- Guinea-Bissau — 10
- Kenya — 3,949
- Lesotho — 6
- Liberia — 1,593
- Libya — 276
- Madagascar — 48
- Malawi — 159
- Mali — 268
- Mauritania — 261
- Mauritius — 2
- Morocco — 3,670
- Mozambique — 4
- Namibia — 3
- Niger — 109
- Rwanda — 1,252
- Senegal — 478
- Sierra Leone — 639
- Somalia — 1,554
- South Africa — 187
- South Sudan — 72
- Sudan — 5,226
- Tanzania — 404
- Togo — 2,473
- Tunisia — 202
- Uganda — 1,513
- Western Sahara — 2
- Zambia — 236
- Zimbabwe — 327
US DV-2026: What Selectees Must Do Next
Applicants selected for the DV-2026 programme must meet specific eligibility requirements before they can receive a visa.
The principal applicant must provide evidence of at least a high school education or its equivalent.
Alternatively, the applicant must have two years of qualifying work experience within the previous five years in an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience.
The available visas are distributed across six global regions, while no individual country can receive more than seven per cent of the total allocation.
DV-2026 selectees who are already in the United States legally may apply to adjust their immigration status through US Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Those living outside the United States are required to follow the instructions provided in their selection notifications and proceed with the process without unnecessary delays.
The State Department has warned that selectees who do not obtain a visa or adjustment of status by September 30, 2026, will lose the benefits of their DV-2026 selection. The same deadline applies to spouses and children applying for derivative status.
The State Department also said the registration dates for the DV-2027 programme will be announced in the coming months through its official Diversity Visa information page.
