The State Department confirmed that Cuban citizens are not eligible to participate in the 2026 Diversity Visa Program (DV-2026)popularly known as the “Visa Lottery”.
According to The New Heraldthis comes after reports indicating that some residents of the island had received incorrect information about their status in the process.
In an update published on October 3, the entity noted that “a small number of participants from Cuba” may have received erroneous selection notifications.
However, he stressed that The country remains excluded from the draw because more than 50,000 Cubans emigrated to the United States in the last five yearsa figure that exceeds the limit established to participate in the program.
“The Department has notified the people who selected Cuba as their country of imputation that they will not be eligible for the 2026 program year,” the statement said.
Cuban visas for the US
The Diversity Visa Program, which grants up to 55,000 permanent residences annually, is intended for citizens of countries with low immigration rates to the United States.
Registration for the 2026 edition opened on October 1 and will continue until September 30, 2025, although places may sell out sooner.
In previous cycles, Cubans were among the groups that benefited the most from this program, known among Cubans as the “Bombo.”according to data from the Office of Consular Affairs.
Added to this are the new immigration restrictions of the Trump Administrationwhich even affect family reunification processes and force applicants for non-immigrant visas – such as tourism, studies or temporary work – to manage their procedures at the US consulate in Georgetown, Guyana.
The decision to exclude Cuba from DV-2026 occurs in a context of tightening immigration policies towards the island after the increase in the migratory flow during Joe Biden’s mandate and the end of programs such as the humanitarian parole.
