Indian citizens are not eligible to participate in the upcoming Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery, commonly known as the Green Card Lottery, for the DV-2028 cycle.
This exclusion is expected to continue for several more years due to the high volume of legal immigrants from India to the United States.
Why India Is Excluded
The Diversity Visa program aims to increase diversity in the US immigrant population by offering green cards to individuals from countries with low immigration rates.
To qualify, a country must have sent fewer than 50,000 immigrants to the US in the past five years. India has consistently exceeded this threshold, automatically disqualifying it from participation.
Indian immigration figures highlight the trend:
2021: 93,450 Indians obtained lawful permanent residency.
2022: 127,010 Indians received green cards.
2023: 78,070 Indians were granted the same status.
In 2022, the number of Indian immigrants (127,010) even surpassed the combined total of immigrants from South America (99,030), Africa (89,570), and Europe (75,610). Because of such high numbers, India remains ineligible for the DV-2028 program.
Other Countries Also Barred
India is not alone. Other high-immigration countries — including China, South Korea, Canada, and Pakistan — are also excluded from the next DV-2026 and DV-2028 lotteries.
These exclusions are based on similarly large numbers of immigrants moving to the US from these nations.
Alternate Green Card Routes for Indians
With the DV Lottery pathway closed, Indian applicants seeking permanent residence in the US must rely on traditional immigration channels, which are often lengthy and competitive:
Employment-Based Visas: such as converting an H-1B visa into a green card.
Family Sponsorship: for close relatives of US citizens or permanent residents.
Investment-Based Immigration: through programs like EB-5.
Asylum: for individuals qualifying under humanitarian or protection grounds.
Stricter Immigration Policies Add to the Challenge
Gaining US permanent residency has become more difficult due to stricter immigration policies.
Analysts note that the tightened visa rules introduced during the Trump administration continue to impact applicants.
Recent State Department guidelines have increased scrutiny for visa seekers, especially students, by expanding social media checks and background verification.
Diplomatic officials have been instructed to screen applicants more closely for potential security risks or unlawful activities.
Conclusion
With India’s high immigration numbers, citizens remain ineligible for the US Diversity Visa Lottery through at least DV-2028.
Until eligibility criteria change, Indian applicants will need to pursue other, often slower, legal pathways to achieve permanent residency in the United States.
