The United States Department of State has released the results of the 2026 Diversity Visa (DV) programme, commonly known as the Green Card Lottery, confirming that Sierra Leone recorded 639 prospective applicants.
This figure includes selected principal applicants from Sierra Leone along with their spouses and children. It places the country among the participating West African nations in the highly competitive programme.
Globally, the Kentucky Consular Center registered approximately 129,516 prospective applicants (selectees and their family members) from a total of 20,822,624 eligible entries submitted during the application window that ran from 2 October to 7 November 2024.
The Diversity Visa programme is designed to provide up to 55,000 permanent resident visas each year to nationals of countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States. For the DV-2026 cycle, the available number has been reduced to about 51,850 due to deductions required by US law (including provisions related to NACARA and the National Defense Authorization Act). Visas are distributed across six geographic regions, with no single country allowed to receive more than 7% of the total.
In West Africa, Sierra Leone’s 639 selectees sit alongside higher numbers from Togo (2,473), Ghana (1,642), Liberia (1,593), Benin (1,064), Guinea (1,051) and Côte d’Ivoire (926), among others. Across the broader African continent, Egypt led with 5,527 prospective applicants, followed by Algeria (5,457) and Sudan (5,226). Nigeria was the only African country ineligible to participate in DV-2026.
Selected applicants must complete the full visa or adjustment-of-status process as quickly as possible. Those who do not receive their visa or adjustment of status by 30 September 2026 will lose the benefit of their selection. Principal applicants are also required to meet educational or work-experience criteria (at least a high-school education or equivalent, or two years of qualifying work experience in an occupation requiring at least two years of training).
The official Entrant Status Check remains available on the US Department of State website for applicants to confirm their status using their confirmation number. Selection does not guarantee a visa, as numbers are limited and further eligibility checks apply.
