Yes. If you and your spouse each meet the rules, you may each submit one DV lottery entry. Your entry does not use up your spouse’s entry. A second form in the same person’s name voids both of that person’s forms.
You cannot submit either form today. No DV-2027 entry dates have been published. A family list and a photo do not open the form.
Think of two raffle books. You may hold one ticket. Your spouse may hold one ticket. If your name is on two tickets, both of your tickets are thrown out. Your spouse’s ticket can still be valid.
Can both of us enter?
Yes. The last full instructions, written for DV-2026, say each spouse may submit one entry if each meets the rules. If either spouse is selected, the other may apply as a derivative.
A derivative is a spouse or child who applies because of someone else’s selection. They do not need their own winning entry. They do need to be listed on the entry that was selected.
The current rule has been in effect since April 10, 2026. It limits the form by person, not by couple. The rule calls the form a petition. It says no more than one petition may be submitted by, or for, any one person during a single fiscal year. A fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30. It is not the January-to-December year.
DV-2027 instructions are not published. If a new notice changes the family list, follow that notice.
You still cannot file. The rule says the dates are published in the Federal Register, the government’s public journal. That DV-2027 notice is not there. The rule text, current through November 5, 2026, has no start date. The November 5, 2025 notice still says the start date will be announced later. Is it too late to enter? explains why today is not a missed deadline.
What does one entry mean?
One person. One form. Not two tries.
If two or more petitions for the same person go in during the same fiscal year, the rule says all of them are void. Void means they do not count. The DV-2026 instructions said the same idea for a registration period, and said the Department uses technology to find duplicates.
A helper does not create an extra chance. A friend, a relative, or a lawyer may submit your form. That form is still your one entry. If you also submit one, both are void. You are responsible for the form, even if someone else typed it.
Two entries mean two confirmation numbers. Keep them separate. For DV-2026, the Department said it would not email you about selection. You check with your own number.
Who has to be on both entries?
Write the family list once. Use it on every form.
The DV-2026 instructions say both entries must include every dependent. Your form lists your spouse. Your spouse’s form lists you. Both forms list the same children.
| Person | List them? | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| The spouse you are married to | Yes | Even if they will not immigrate, and even if you live apart |
| A spouse with a court order of legal separation | Not required | They cannot immigrate with you on this entry. You are not penalized if you list them |
| A former spouse, after divorce or death | No | Do not list them |
| A boyfriend, girlfriend, or future spouse | No | Listing someone who is not your spouse can end the entry |
| A U.S. citizen or green-card spouse | No | Do not list them. A photo of them is not required |
| Each living unmarried child under 21 | Yes | Include a stepchild and an adopted child, even if the child stays behind |
| A child already 21, or already married, on entry day | No | They are not a derivative on this entry |
| A child who is a U.S. citizen or green-card holder | Not required | You are not penalized if you include them |
| Parents, brothers, and sisters | No | They are not derivatives |
The age that matters is the child’s age on the day you submit. Listing a child does not force that child to travel. Leaving a required child off can make the family ineligible on that entry.
What if we live apart or plan to divorce?
Living in different houses is not enough. Legal separation means a court order. A private decision to live apart is not that order.
If there is no court order, list your spouse even if you plan to divorce, and even if they will not immigrate. The DV-2026 instructions say leaving off an eligible spouse, or listing someone who is not your spouse, will make you ineligible. Do not list a person you are not married to yet. A spouse you marry after a correct entry is a later change. The March 11, 2026 rule’s explanation says the same thing.
What if only one of us qualifies?
Then only that person submits an entry. The other person is listed on it.
Each person who wants their own entry needs two tests.
Country. You normally use your country of birth. Other ways exist only when every written condition is met. Can I use my spouse’s country? walks through them. The DV-2027 country list is not published. Do not treat an older list as this year’s list.
Education or work. You need 12 years of formal elementary and secondary school, or a comparable course in another country. The DV-2026 instructions say a correspondence course does not count, and a GED does not count. The work alternative is two years, in the past five years, in a job that needs at least two years of training. Officers use the Labor Department’s O*NET list. The job’s training score, called Specific Vocational Preparation, must be 7.0 or higher. Proof comes at the visa interview, not on the entry form.
If you miss both tests, do not submit your own entry. Your spouse and children could not be derivatives on it. A spouse who does meet the tests can submit one entry and list you. Being listed there does not use up your own entry.
What photos do two entries need?
Each form needs a photo of the person entering, of the spouse you must list, and of each unmarried child under 21. The same photo may go on both forms. Do not reuse a photo from an earlier year. The DV-2026 instructions say that can make you ineligible.
DV-2027 photo instructions are not published. Until a new notice chooses, use the 2024 file numbers.
| Item | DV-2026 instructions | Rule effective April 10, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| File | Color JPEG, 600 by 600, 240 KB or smaller | Color JPEG. Size is not restated |
| Head | 50% to 69% of the height | About 50% of the area |
| How recent | Within six months | No more than six months before you submit |
| Glasses | No eyeglasses | Nothing that blocks the face |
A photo from November 7, 2026 is still in time on May 7, 2027, and too old on May 8, 2027. For a baby, no other person may be in the photo. The size, file size, and children pages follow these rules, and so does How to make a DV lottery photo while you wait.
The person who submits also needs a valid, unexpired passport under the current rule, unless an exemption in that rule applies. That includes a JPEG of the biographic and signature page, no larger than 5 MB. A spouse who is only listed needs a photo. They need passport details on a form only if they submit their own entry.
The tool on this site exports a 600 by 600 JPEG. dvlotteryphoto.com makes one such JPEG per order, with the background corrected and the file size checked, made to those DV-2026 measurements. Order one file per person. You can use it on both entries. That is not State Department approval. It does not submit an entry. It is not the $1 fee. A finished photo does not guarantee selection or a visa.
What should we do now?
- Do not submit an entry today, and do not pay anyone to submit one. Recent forms were on dvprogram.state.gov. The DV-2027 notice will name the website. Another site is not the government form.
- Decide who qualifies. Check country, and education or work, for each of you. One qualifying spouse can enter and list the other. Two qualifying spouses can each enter once.
- Write one family list. Include the spouse you are married to, unless a court order of legal separation applies, or that spouse is a U.S. citizen or a green-card holder. Include every living unmarried child under 21.
- Collect passport details for each person who will submit, unless that person is exempt under the rule.
- Make one photo per person on the list. Keep a JPEG at 600 by 600 pixels and 240 KB or smaller until a new notice says otherwise. Take a new photo if six months pass.
- When the form opens, each person submits only once. Pay the $1 registration fee on the official site. The fee schedule lists that fee at $1, and a separate $330 Diversity Visa application fee for applying after selection. Two entries mean two $1 payments. A payment to a helper is not the $1 fee.
- Save both confirmation numbers, and keep access to the email used on each entry.
| Date | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| October 2 to November 7, 2024 | The DV-2026 entry period. Closed. The last full example of these rules. |
| September 16, 2025 | The $1 registration fee takes effect. Pay it later, on the official site. |
| November 5, 2025 | The State Department says the DV-2027 start date will be announced later. No day is named. |
| April 10, 2026 | The current entry rule takes effect. One petition per person in a fiscal year. |
| October 29, 2026 | An appeals court pauses an order that would have required an opening. No entry dates are posted. |
| November 7, 2026 | Today. You cannot enter. |
| September 30, 2027 | The end of the visa period named for people selected for DV-2027. Not an entry day. |
Questions
Can my spouse and I both enter the DV lottery?
Yes, if each of you meets the rules. Each spouse may submit one entry. A second entry in the same name voids both. You cannot enter today, because no DV-2027 dates are posted.
What happens if I submit two DV lottery entries?
One person may submit only one entry in a fiscal year, from October 1 to September 30. A second entry for that person voids all of that person’s entries, including a form a helper sends.
Do I list a spouse who will not move to the United States?
Yes. List the spouse you are married to, even if they will not move and even if you live apart. Legal separation means a court order. Do not list a future spouse.
Do I list a spouse who is a U.S. citizen?
No. Do not list a spouse or child who is already a U.S. citizen or a green-card holder. You do not have to include their photo. Including that photo anyway is not a penalty under the DV-2026 instructions.
Do our children go on both entries?
Yes. List every living unmarried child under 21 on each entry, including a stepchild, even if the child will stay behind. Do not list a child who is already 21, or already married, on the day you submit.
Can we enter the DV lottery today?
No. The State Department has not published DV-2027 entry dates. A photo and a family list do not open the form.
Does a finished photo mean we were selected?
No. A photo made to the written measurements is a file for a later entry. It is not approved by the State Department, and it does not guarantee selection or a visa.
Sources
- 22 CFR 42.33, Diversity immigrants, current through November 5, 2026. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-22/section-42.33
- 22 CFR 22.1, fee schedule, $1 registration fee and $330 application fee, current through November 5, 2026. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-22/section-22.1
- Federal Register vetting rule, March 11, 2026, effective April 10, 2026. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/03/11/2026-04737/visas-enhancing-vetting-and-combatting-fraud-in-the-diversity-immigrant-visa-program
- Diversity Visa instructions for DV-2026, October 1, 2024. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/10/01/2024-22482/diversity-visa-instructions-for-dv-2026
- Correction of the DV-2026 entry dates, October 31, 2024. The period was October 2 through November 7, 2024. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/10/31/2024-25240/diversity-visa-instructions-for-dv-2026-correction
- Consular fee rule, September 16, 2025. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/09/16/2025-17851/schedule-of-fees-for-consular-services-department-of-state-and-overseas-embassies-and
- State Department notice, “Changes to Entry Period for 2027 Diversity Visa (DV) Program,” November 5, 2025. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/changes-to-2027-dv-program-entry-period.html
DV Lottery Guide is an independent, unofficial guide and is not affiliated with the U.S. government. A photo made to the written DV requirements is not approved by the State Department. Entering the lottery does not guarantee selection or a visa.