The U.S. Department of State has notified a small number of entrants from Cuba that they are ineligible for the 2026 Diversity Visa (DV) program after the entry selection system incorrectly showed them as selected, the agency announced. Under U.S. law, Cuban natives are barred from participating in the 2026 program year because more than 50,000 Cuban natives immigrated to the United States in the previous five-year period, as published in the DV-2026 instructions.
Separately, the State Department determined that for a small number of entrants from Great Britain (United Kingdom) and its dependent areas, the selection status results may have been previously incorrectly reported. The department is asking those entrants to use the Entrant Status Check with their unique confirmation number to confirm whether their entry was actually selected.
The dependent areas covered under Great Britain for DV purposes 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. Northern Ireland is treated as a separate foreign state of chargeability for the DV program and is not affected by this notice.
Selectees are reminded that eligibility to apply for a Diversity Immigrant Visa extends through the end of the fiscal year on September 30, and that visas may become unavailable before that date if the department issues all visa numbers authorized by Congress for that fiscal year. To be scheduled for an interview, selectees must first submit a complete DS-260 application and be prepared to provide all required documentation, including a medical exam.
Informational content only, not legal advice. Consult a licensed immigration attorney.