Update as of April 17, 2026: The latest developments regarding the technical approval (OIRA) of the electronic registration form have been added, along with the official entry into force of the final rule.
"The End of Ambiguity and the Beginning of a New Era for the Lottery"
In a decisive legal development, the U.S. State Department published Final Rule No. [12948] on March 11, 2026, putting an end to questions about the future of the diversity immigration program. This law is not a simple update — it is a fundamental restructuring of the application platform and screening mechanisms, aimed primarily at "purging" the program of fraudulent applications and fake data.
Technical Approval (OIRA): The System Is Ready to Operate
The matter did not stop at legislation. On April 15, 2026, the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) approved the updated version of the electronic registration form (DS-5501). This step means the technical platform is now programmed to reject any application that does not meet the new conditions, moving the law from "paper" to "strict digital enforcement."
The Return of the "Passport Rule" in a More Advanced Digital Form
Unlike previous years, which saw legal battles over the mandatory passport requirement, the DV-2027 law settles the debate. The law does not merely require a passport number — it obliges applicants to upload a clear, color scan of the data page and signature.
Why this measure? To prevent automated bots from flooding the system with fake names, and to ensure every application corresponds to an internationally registered official document.
The "634,000 Applications from One Device" Scandal: A Harsh Lesson from Bangladesh
The law explicitly reveals one of the largest breaches of the program's integrity. In 2012, the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh, detected a technical disaster: a single IP address had registered more than 634,000 entries!
How did this happen? Local agencies exploited citizens' data and registered them automatically without their knowledge.
The legal outcome: The new law's requirement of a "passport scan" aims to break this kind of software scheme. No server or bot can upload thousands of images of real passports without being detected by AI systems (OCR) that will instantly cross-check the passport image against the written data.
The Ukraine File: When Migration Dreams Become a $15,000 "Hostage"
No discussion of the new DV-2027 law would be complete without addressing what the State Department's Office of Inspector General (OIG) report described as "organized fraud networks" in Kyiv, Ukraine's capital. These were not isolated individual errors, but a full-fledged "industry" run by gangs disguised as travel and tourism agencies.
How did the "lottery mafia" in Ukraine operate (according to the U.S. Embassy report)?
Why did the new law focus on this file? Because requiring a "passport scan" and a signature image upload makes it impossible for these agencies to register citizens "in bulk" using only stolen data — it now requires actual possession of the passport and photographing it, cutting off the path to extortion trafficking and sham marriages.
Looking at the following statistics, we find undeniable numerical evidence of the necessity of this law:
The shocking conclusion: the gap between 23 million and 9 million (about 14 million applications) is not all made up of "real people" — a large portion of it is "electronic noise" produced by fraud agencies and repeated registration, which robs honest applicants of their chances.
The New Legal Wording: What Does Replacing "May" with "Shall" Mean?
The law includes a fundamental linguistic amendment using the word "Shall" (denoting absolute obligation). Legally, this means the American consul no longer has room for discretion in the case of missing passport data or an unclear uploaded image. Any simple error in this area will lead to an automatic rejection of the application with no chance for correction.
Are You Ready for "Digital Screening"?
America no longer wants "numbers" in the lottery — it wants "documented people." The DV-2027 law is a death certificate for unserious "cyber offices" and agencies that used to sell illusions. From now on, your passport is your only ticket, and without it, you're out of the game before it even begins.