The U.S. Department of State issued, specifically on March 11, 2026, document number [Public Notice: 12948], which took effect on April 10, 2026. The rule aims to strengthen security screening and combat fraud through strict technical requirements.
On April 15, 2026, the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), under the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB), approved the updated version of the electronic lottery registration form (DS-5501), in line with the new rule. 🔗 The new rule
This technical confirmation shows that the electronic system is now actually ready to apply the new requirements, not just legally ready.
The new amendments require DV-2027 applicants to submit valid passport data along with a scanned copy of the data and signature page, meaning any application that fails to meet this technical requirement will be disqualified.
Legal terminology has been standardized to use "date of birth" instead of "age" and the term "Sex," to ensure accurate data matching with national security databases and avoid administrative errors when sorting winners.
Since the rule takes effect in April 2026, these strict standards are expected to apply to the DV-2027 cycle, making the results and interview phase fully governed by this law.
The use of the word "Shall" in the new law gives consular officers absolute authority to reject any application containing inaccurate information or unclear documents. Make sure your official documents are ready now.
Update date: 10 شتنبر 2026 | Legal status: The final rule has been published in the Federal Register
This page will be updated as soon as any new procedural instructions are issued by the Bureau of Consular Affairs