Selection is the start, not the finish. About one-third of selectees never receive a visa. Most failures are preventable — caused by missed deadlines, document delays, or strategic missteps in the months between notification and interview.
The May notification
Status check opens in May at dvprogram.state.gov. You enter your confirmation number, last name, and year of birth. The site shows whether you were selected and, if so, your case number and assigned region.
State Department does not email selectees. Any "you've been selected" email is a scam. The only way to know is to check the status site yourself.
Your case number determines everything
Selectees receive a region-coded case number (e.g., 2027AS00012345). The number's rank within your region determines when you can be processed. Lower numbers → earlier interview slots → safer chance of getting a visa before September 30 cutoff.
The Visa Bulletin publishes monthly cutoffs by region. When your case number is "current" for a month, you're eligible for processing that month or later.
The path: where you are matters
If you're outside the U.S.
Consular processing through the U.S. embassy or consulate in your country. Submit Form DS-260 online. Once your case number is current, you'll receive an interview appointment. Bring all required documents (police certificates from every country lived in 6+ months since age 16, civil documents, medical exam, financial evidence, photos).
If you're legally inside the U.S.
Adjustment of Status via Form I-485 with USCIS. Must maintain valid nonimmigrant status throughout. File when your case number is current per the DV chart in the Visa Bulletin. The risk: USCIS processing can be slower than the September 30 fiscal year deadline. Many DV adjustment applicants run out of time.
The September 30 cliff
Every fiscal year, the DV program ends September 30. Cases not adjudicated by that date — even by 24 hours — lose eligibility forever. There are no extensions, appeals, or carryovers. This is the harshest deadline in U.S. immigration law.
Strategy implication: do everything fast. Submit DS-260 the day case number is current. Schedule medical exam early. Get police certificates from prior countries before they're requested. Lower case numbers should still treat every week as critical.
Common reasons selectees lose visas
- Missed deadlines — DS-260 not filed in time, fees not paid, interview missed
- Insufficient education/work proof — Cannot document the qualifying credential
- Inadmissibility — Prior immigration violations, criminal history, public charge concerns
- Document delays — Police certificates from prior countries take months in some places
- High case number — Visa numbers run out before your case becomes current
- Insufficient financial showing — Cannot demonstrate ability to support yourself in the U.S.