The US government has identified one category of people who cannot enter the DV-2026 Diversity Visa Programme: those who have neither the required level of schooling nor the qualifying employment history.
The programme gives entrants two ways to satisfy its personal eligibility test. A person can qualify through education by completing a 12-year course of elementary and secondary schooling, or through employment by having at least two years of experience in an occupation that requires a minimum of two years of training or experience. The employment must have been obtained during the five years preceding the application.
The US government states: “If you do not have either the required education or qualifying work experience, you are not eligible for a diversity visa.”
Nationality Alone Is Not Enough
The DV-2026 lottery is available to nationals of countries that have historically sent relatively few immigrants to the United States. However, nationality only establishes one part of the entry conditions.
That means a person from an eligible country still has to satisfy the programme’s personal criteria. The government assesses the entrant’s schooling or occupational history alongside the country-of-chargeability rules.
People planning to enter the lottery should establish which of the two criteria applies to them before registration. Those using employment history also need to ensure that their occupation falls within the standard set by the US government, rather than simply counting years spent in a job.
An entry from someone who fails the personal eligibility test can be disqualified from the lottery. Entrants should therefore check the official DV-2026 instructions before completing their submission.
