US Diversity Visa Lottery — Full Guide for Ghanaians
The US Diversity Visa programme grants up to 55,000 immigrant visas a yearto nationals of low-immigration countries. Ghana is eligible. Entry is completely free, opens every October on dvprogram.state.gov, and takes 10 minutes — but the scams around it cost Ghanaians millions of cedis every year.
Last verified: November 2025 against the US State Department DV instructions and Kentucky Consular Center (KCC) guidance. See editorial policy.
Eligibility — two simple rules
- Country of chargeability: You must be born in an eligible country. Ghana is eligible.
- Education or work: Either a high school education (SSCE/WASSCE pass at minimum) or 2 years of work experience in the last 5 in an occupation that requires 2 years of training (per the US Department of Labor O*NET database, Job Zone 4 or 5).
A married couple can each enter separately, doubling the family's chance. Children under 21 and your spouse are included automatically if you win.
How to enter (free, do it yourself)
- Open dvprogram.state.gov during the registration window (early October to early November). Do not use any other URL — anything ending in .com or .ng is a scam.
- Fill in the DS-5501 form online: name (exactly as on passport), date of birth, country of birth, education, spouse and all children under 21 (even those not living with you).
- Upload a recent compliant photo for each person listed (see specs below).
- Submit. Save your confirmation number — without it you cannot check results. There is no email confirmation, no fee, no agent.
- Check results in May the following year at dvprogram.state.gov/ESC using your confirmation number, last name and birth year.
Photo specs (the #1 disqualification reason)
- Square: 600 × 600 to 1200 × 1200 pixels.
- JPEG, under 240 KB.
- Taken in the last 6 months. Plain white or off-white background.
- Head must fill 50–69% of the frame. Eyes open, looking at camera, no glasses.
- No filters, no edits, no head coverings (except for daily-worn religious head coverings — the face must still be fully visible).
- Use the State Department's free photo cropper at travel.state.gov to check compliance before submitting.
If you're selected: the real process
Being "selected" means you've cleared the random draw — it does not mean you have a visa. Selectees are placed in a queue by case number, and only ~50% of selectees actually get a visa before the fiscal year's 55,000 cap is hit on September 30. Here's the path:
- Submit form DS-260 (online immigrant visa application) for yourself and every family member.
- Wait for KCC scheduling. KCC processes by case number. Watch the monthly DV Visa Bulletin to know when your number is "current".
- Police certificate from every country you've lived in for 12+ months since age 16 (Ghana Police HQ, CID, takes 4–6 weeks).
- Medical exam at a designated panel physician in Accra (currently the Family Health Medical School clinic — list at gh.usembassy.gov).
- Interview at the US Embassy, Cantonments, Accra. Bring originals of every document.
- Visa fee: USD 330 per person paid before the interview. Plus ~USD 230 USCIS immigrant fee after arrival.
Scams targeting Ghanaian applicants
- "Guaranteed selection" agents charging GHS 200–2,000 to "enter for you". The lottery is random — no one can guarantee selection. Many agents enter you with their photo or address, which disqualifies you and they pocket the win.
- Fake "you've been selected" emails. KCC never emails selectees. You must check on dvprogram.state.gov/ESC yourself.
- Phone calls demanding "processing fees" via mobile money. KCC and the US Embassy never call applicants to ask for money.
- "Sponsor" requirements. The DV programme has no sponsor requirement. Anyone telling you otherwise is selling something fake.