The short answer: people born in Brazil cannot take part in the green card lottery. That is the rule for program year 2026 (DV-2026), and the list of eligible countries is reviewed every cycle. Even so, it is worth understanding how the program works, because there are two exceptions that may open the door for some Brazilians.
What the lottery is
The official name is the Diversity Visa Program (DV). Every year, the State Department draws immigrant visas for people from countries with low immigration to the US. There are up to 55,000 visas a year. Selected people still have to prove they are eligible and pass the consular interview, or adjust status if they are already in the US.
What counts is your country of birth
Eligibility is generally decided by the country where you were born. Your current nationality or where you live does not decide it. According to the official DV-2026 instructions, natives of these countries were not eligible: Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (including mainland and Hong Kong), Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Korea, Venezuela and Vietnam.
The two exceptions
People born in an ineligible country can, in some cases, use another country:
- Your spouse's country of birth. This applies if your spouse was also born in an eligible country, you are both selected, and you both enter the US together.
- Your parents' country of birth. This applies when you were born in a country where neither of your parents was born or legally resident at the time of your birth.
Before counting on either one, confirm your case in that year's official instructions.
Requirements to be approved
Besides the country, the program requires a high school education (or equivalent) or two years of work experience in the past five years in an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience and appears in the Department of Labor's O*NET database. You provide proof at the interview.
How to enter
- Entry is online and free.
- The law allows only one entry per person in each period. More than one entry disqualifies all of them.
- Fees only come after selection, and are paid at the consulate or to USCIS if you adjust status. They are not refundable.
What about DV-2027?
In November 2025, the State Department announced changes to the DV-2027 entry process and said the dates would be announced later. When I wrote this article, the program's official website listed no dates for DV-2027. Always check the official site, and read that year's instructions before entering, because the country list can change.
Watch out for scams
The government warns that some websites and emails pose as official sources. Entry is free: anyone who charges you to "enter" or to "guarantee" your selection is not the government. Use only the program's official website and save your confirmation number.