Anyone selected in the DV-2026 visa lottery has a deadline: September 30, 2026.
What the Visa Bulletin says
Eligibility for immigrant status in the DV category lasts only until the end of the fiscal year for which the applicant was selected. For all DV-2026 program registrants, this year of eligibility ends on September 30, 2026, and DV visas cannot be issued to DV-2026 applicants after that date.
The same applies to dependents: spouses and children accompanying or following to join the DV-2026 principal applicant are entitled to derivative status only until September 30, 2026.
The detail that changes your planning
The bulletin itself warns that visa availability for DV cases up through the very end of the fiscal year cannot be taken for granted — numbers may run out before September 30.
In practice: the deadline is 09/30, but the actual cutoff may come earlier than that.
What to check
- What stage your DV-2026 case is at today.
- Whether there is a pending document that depends on third parties — these are usually the ones that take weeks to resolve.
- The monthly Visa Bulletin, which is where this information is published.
Next date: September 30, 2026 — end of the DV-2026 eligibility year.
Source: U.S. Department of State — Visa Bulletin for September 2026, travel.state.gov — https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin/2026/visa-bulletin-for-september-2026.html
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Educational information, not legal advice. Prime Immigration Office is a paralegal service — document preparation only. For legal advice, consult a licensed Texas attorney or DOJ-accredited representative.