The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has announced corrections to the Diversity Visa (DV) Program 2026 “Green Card Lottery” selection results, impacting entrants from both Cuba and Great Britain (United Kingdom) and its dependent areas.
The update confirms that natives of Cuba are ineligible to participate in the DV-2026 program, a clarification that reverses the initial “selected” status for a small number of Cuban entrants.
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The DOS determined that an error in the entry selection system had incorrectly notified some Cuban natives of their selection. Under existing U.S. law, countries that have sent more than 50,000 immigrants to the United States in the previous five-year period are excluded from the Diversity Visa program.
“Cuban natives are not eligible to participate in the 2026 program year, because more than 50,000 Cuban natives immigrated to the United States in the previous five-year period,” the DOS stated.
The Department has confirmed that individuals who selected Cuba as their foreign state of chargeability have been notified of their ineligibility for the 2026 program year.
In a separate action, the DOS announced that selection results for a small number of entrants from Great Britain (United Kingdom) and its dependent areas may have also been “previously incorrectly reported.”
The Department is advising all DV-2026 entrants from the United Kingdom and its dependent areas to immediately visit the Entrant Status Check website. Entrants must use their unique confirmation number from their online registration to confirm their current selection status.
Dependent areas of Great Britain include: Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, British Indian Ocean Territory, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, St. Helena, and Turks and Caicos Islands. Natives of Northern Ireland are not affected by this notice, as Northern Ireland is treated as a separate foreign state of chargeability.
The DOS also took the opportunity to remind all confirmed DV-2026 selectees of key deadlines and procedures. Eligibility to apply for a Diversity Immigrant Visa only extends through the end of the fiscal year, September 30, 2026.
To be scheduled for a visa interview, selectees must first submit a complete DS-260 application. They are advised to be prepared to provide all required documentation, including a medical exam, at the time of their interview. Visas may become unavailable before the September 30 deadline if all authorized visa numbers for the fiscal year are issued.
Kishor Panthi is the founder and editor-in-chief of Khasokhas and NepYork. He is the author of three books, “Kampan,” "UNTRANSLATABLE" and “Zero Mile.” He writes about social issues, immigration, and politics.
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