State Department Introduces $1 Diversity Visa Lottery Registration Fee

Key Point 

• The Department of State will begin charging a $1 registration fee for the Diversity Visa (DV) lottery starting in FY 2025, shifting administrative costs to all registrants rather than only selected applicants 

Diversity Visa Lottery Fee Adjustment Finalized 

On September 16, 2025, the U.S. Department of State published a final rule establishing a $1 electronic registration fee for the Diversity Visa lottery program. This marks a significant change to the consular fee schedule and aims to distribute the cost of administering the DV lottery more equitably among all participants. 

Key Details: 

• The new $1 fee applies at the time of electronic registration for the DV lottery. 
• The existing $330 DV application fee remains unchanged. 
• The rule amends 22 CFR Parts 22 and 42 to reflect the new fee structure and update procedural language. 
• The Department estimates 25 million annual registrations, generating approximately $25 million in new fee revenue. 

Rationale and Impact:

The change is designed to: 

• Reduce fraudulent or speculative registrations. 
• Ensure cost recovery for system maintenance, data processing and security reviews. 
• Align with federal user charge principles under OMB Circular A-25. 

The Department will implement the rule 30 days after publication. 

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