The United States has introduced a $1 (Sh129) registration fee for applicants of the Green Card lottery, effective immediately. According to the US Federal Register, the fee is intended to cover the operational costs of managing the annual Diversity Visa (DV) lottery, including system updates, data storage, and security reviews.
The new fee is in addition to the existing $330 (Sh42,570) Diversity Visa application fee for selected applicants. The $1 fee must be paid at the time of electronic registration through an authorized US government portal. The payment is non-refundable, regardless of the lottery results.
The Department of State plans to review and adjust the DV fee in future updates. The change is set to take effect ahead of the 2027 DV lottery registration period, which opens in October.
The new fee is in addition to the existing $330 (Sh42,570) Diversity Visa application fee for selected applicants. The $1 fee must be paid at the time of electronic registration through an authorized US government portal. The payment is non-refundable, regardless of the lottery results.
The Department of State plans to review and adjust the DV fee in future updates. The change is set to take effect ahead of the 2027 DV lottery registration period, which opens in October.
