US Green Card Lottery: 16 West African countries selected fo diversity visa — full list, others details
Donald Trump
The US State Department, through the Kentucky Consular Center, has released selectee figures for the 2026 Diversity Visa (DV-2026) programme, popularly called the Green Card Lottery, and 16 West African countries feature on the list. Nigeria is not among them.
According to the release, roughly 129,516 people worldwide — selectees plus their spouses and children — have been confirmed and registered for DV-2026. That figure sits well above the actual number of visas up for grabs, a built-in buffer the State Department uses to cover people who withdraw or later turn out not to qualify.
The pool of selectees was drawn from an enormous applicant base: more than 20.8 million valid entries were submitted worldwide during the 37-day registration window that ran from October 2 to November 7, 2024.
The Diversity Visa programme itself makes up to 55,000 immigrant visas available annually to citizens of countries that have historically sent few immigrants to the US. For DV-2026 specifically, that ceiling has been trimmed to around 51,850, a reduction tied to the NACARA law and the National Defence Authorisation Act for the 2024 fiscal year.
What Is the US Diversity Visa Programme?
The Diversity Visa (DV) programme, widely nicknamed the “Green Card Lottery,” is a US immigration initiative created by Congress to widen the pool of countries represented among immigrants entering the United States. Rather than requiring a family or employer sponsor, it randomly selects winners from a pool of qualifying applicants through an electronic drawing run once a year by the US Department of State.
Eligibility is deliberately narrow at the country level: only nationals of countries that have sent relatively few immigrants to the US over the previous five years can enter. Nations that already send large numbers of immigrants through other visa categories — countries like Nigeria, India, China, Mexico, and the Philippines, among others — are excluded from a given year’s drawing, which explains why some populous nations cycle in and out of eligibility from year to year.
Anyone hoping to take part first has to submit a free entry during a designated registration window, typically in the autumn. Winners are picked entirely at random by computer from among everyone who qualifies, and being selected only earns an applicant the chance to apply for a visa — it doesn’t guarantee one. Selectees still have to clear standard requirements: proving they meet the education or work-experience threshold, passing background and security checks, undergoing a medical exam, and, for most, attending a consular interview or filing for a status adjustment if they’re already living lawfully in the US. A firm cutoff date each year — September 30 for the DV-2026 cycle — means the whole process, from selection to final approval, has to happen inside a single fiscal year.
Full List of West African Countries Selected for DV-2026
Here is the breakdown of West African nations with confirmed selectees, alongside the total number of prospective applicants (including accompanying family members) from each:
- Algeria — 5,457
- Benin — 1,064
- Burkina Faso — 252
- Cabo Verde — 35
- Côte d’Ivoire — 926
- The Gambia — 198
- Ghana — 1,642
- Guinea — 1,051
- Guinea-Bissau — 10
- Liberia — 1,593
- Mali — 268
- Mauritania — 261
- Niger — 109
- Senegal — 478
- Sierra Leone — 639
- Togo — 2,473
DV-2026: What Happens Next for Selectees
Confirmation is only the first hurdle. To actually receive an immigrant visa, a principal applicant must show either a high school-level education or its equivalent, or two years of relevant work experience gained within the past five years in a field that typically requires at least two years of training to enter.
Selectees who are already inside the US on a valid legal status don’t need to visit an embassy abroad — they can instead apply to adjust their status directly through US Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Timing is the biggest pressure point. Every selectee, along with any spouse or child hoping to immigrate alongside them, must complete visa issuance or a status adjustment by September 30, 2026. There is no grace period: miss that date, and the DV-2026 selection is void, with no exceptions made.
Anyone hoping to enter the next cycle, DV-2027, should keep an eye on the State Department’s Diversity Visa page, since the opening dates for that registration window have not yet been announced.
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FAQ
Which West African countries were selected for DV-2026? Sixteen countries made the list: Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.
How many people were selected globally for DV-2026? About 129,516 people, including principal applicants and their accompanying spouses and children, have been registered as selectees worldwide.
Why is the number of selectees higher than the available visas? The State Department intentionally over-selects because some applicants withdraw, fail to meet eligibility requirements, or don’t complete processing in time, so the buffer helps ensure available visa slots are actually used.
What is the deadline for DV-2026 selectees? All visa issuance or status adjustments must be completed by September 30, 2026. Selectees who miss this date lose their eligibility permanently, with no extensions granted.
What are the basic requirements to qualify for a Diversity Visa? Applicants need either a high school education (or its equivalent) or two years of work experience within the last five years in an occupation that requires at least two years of training.
Can a selectee already living in the US apply without leaving the country? Yes. Selectees who are lawfully present in the US can apply to adjust their status through US Citizenship and Immigration Services instead of processing their visa at a US consulate abroad.
How many total entries were submitted for DV-2026? Over 20.8 million qualifying entries were submitted worldwide during the registration period, which ran from October 2 to November 7, 2024.