DV Lottery (Green Card) Frequently Asked Questions

From the U.S. embassy or consulate handling the case. Always read the official post page for your interview location because local instructions may cover panel physicians, courier registration, translations, biometrics, and document-delivery steps that are not identical worldwide.

Official sources: DOS prepare for interview page; DOS immigrant interview preparation page; DOS reciprocity schedule.

Usually yes. The Department of State’s interview guidance says applicants should bring the required visa photographs that meet current photo standards, even though the DV entry already required an uploaded image at the registration stage.

Official sources: DOS applicant interview page; DOS immigrant interview preparation page; DOS photo requirements.

Yes. A child derivative in a DV case still needs the required civil documents and must complete the immigrant medical exam before visa issuance. There is no blanket exemption just because the applicant is a minor.

Official sources: DOS supporting documents page; DOS medical exam FAQ.

You should follow the specific instructions of your interview post, but in general the medical exam must be completed before visa issuance and often before the interview date. Many posts tell DV applicants to schedule the medical as soon as an appointment is received.

Official sources: DOS immigrant interview preparation page; DOS prepare for interview page; DOS medical exam FAQ.

Check the Reciprocity Schedule first. If the official country page says a document is unavailable, that official notation matters. If the document is available, the consular officer normally expects it unless the post gives you different written instructions.

Official sources: DOS reciprocity schedule; DOS civil documents page.

Procedures vary by country. In some places the panel physician sends the results directly to the embassy or consulate; in others you receive the results in a sealed envelope that you must not open and must bring to the interview if instructed.

Official sources: DOS medical exam FAQ; DOS applicant interview page.

No. Your personal doctor cannot substitute for the embassy-approved panel physician. The Department of State and CDC both state that immigrant-visa medical exams must be completed by designated panel physicians.

Official sources: DOS medical exam FAQ; CDC panel physician guidance.

Only an approved panel physician designated by the U.S. embassy or consulate may perform the immigrant-visa medical exam abroad. Exams done by your personal doctor or any unapproved clinic will not be accepted.

Official sources: DOS medical exam FAQ; CDC panel physician guidance; DOS immigrant interview preparation page.

Bring any written vaccination records you have. The CDC’s instructions say self-reported vaccines without written documentation are not accepted, and the panel physician must document acceptable vaccine history on the official worksheet.

Official sources: CDC vaccination instructions for panel physicians; DOS medical exam FAQ.

Yes. Every immigrant visa applicant, regardless of age, must complete the required medical examination before visa issuance. That includes DV principal applicants and derivative family members.

Official sources: DOS medical exam FAQ; DOS immigrant interview preparation page.

Yes, if your country issues them and the record is relevant to your case. Check the Reciprocity Schedule to see what form the military record takes in your country and whether any special notes apply.

Official sources: DOS supporting documents page; DOS civil documents page; DOS reciprocity schedule.

The principal applicant should bring evidence showing a qualifying high school education or qualifying work experience. Embassy-specific DV instructions often remind principals to bring diplomas, transcripts, or employment evidence because this requirement is checked at the interview.

Official sources: DOS confirm qualifications page; DOS DV-2026 selected entrants page; DOS supporting documents page.

Usually yes, if the police-certificate rules for your age, residence history, and country apply. Always review the official civil-documents guidance and the Reciprocity Schedule because availability and validity rules are country-specific.

Official sources: DOS civil documents page; DOS reciprocity schedule; DOS immigrant interview preparation page.

Yes, if those records exist and apply to your case. The Department of State’s document guidance specifically requires applicants to collect and present court and prison records when relevant.

Official sources: DOS supporting documents page; DOS civil documents page.

Usually yes, for each immigrant applicant, unless the Reciprocity Schedule for the relevant country says the document is unavailable or explains a different rule. Use the official country page rather than assumptions based on what another applicant used in a different country.

Official sources: DOS civil documents page; DOS reciprocity schedule.

Use the Department of State’s Reciprocity Schedule and the civil-documents guidance for your country. That is the official source for whether a document is available, what it is called locally, who issues it, and whether there are special notes for visa use.

Official sources: DOS reciprocity schedule; DOS civil documents page.

Yes. The Department of State says you must bring the original documents, or certified copies when appropriate, to the visa interview along with required translations. Photocopies alone are not enough if originals or certified copies are required.

Official sources: DOS supporting documents page; DOS immigrant interview preparation page.

Bring translations whenever the official instructions require them. The Department of State specifically tells applicants to bring originals together with any required translations, so check your embassy’s instructions and the Reciprocity Schedule for your country.

Official sources: DOS supporting documents page; DOS civil documents page; DOS reciprocity schedule.

Prepare the civil documents and identity records listed by the Department of State for you and each immigrating family member. Typical items include passports, birth certificates, police certificates, marriage or divorce records where applicable, and any court, prison, or military records required by your case.

Official sources: DOS supporting documents page; DOS civil documents page; DOS reciprocity schedule.

A spouse or child acquired after the original DV entry is not the same as omitting an already-existing family member. Update the case truthfully through the official process, submit any required DS-260s, and bring the civil documents that prove the relationship. Final eligibility is decided during visa adjudication.

Official sources: DOS submit DS-260 page; DOS supporting documents page; DOS applicant interview page.

Yes. Every spouse or child who plans to immigrate through the DV case needs a separate DS-260. The forms are linked to the same case number but each applicant’s information is reviewed individually.

Official sources: DOS submit DS-260 page; DOS DS-260 FAQ.

Possibly. The Department of State says selectees who are physically present in the United States may be eligible to adjust status instead of processing at a consulate abroad, but they must follow USCIS rules and still finish within the DV fiscal-year deadline.

Official sources: DOS if selected page; DOS adjustment of status page; USCIS Green Card through the Diversity Visa Program.

You should follow the case-routing rules and the official post instructions connected to your case. If you need a different post because of residence or other real circumstances, request the change through the official process and understand that a transfer can affect timing and is not guaranteed.

Official sources: DOS if selected page; DOS submit DS-260 page.

KCC can tell you if the form has been processed, but official interview scheduling instructions come through Entrant Status Check. Keep monitoring your case there rather than waiting for a separate “you are qualified” message.

Official sources: DOS submit DS-260 page; DOS selection page.

No. The Kentucky Consular Center can tell you whether your form has been processed, but it cannot decide whether you or your family members are eligible. Only the consular officer who interviews you can make that decision.

Official sources: DOS submit DS-260 page; DOS applicant interview page.