Friday, March 13,
2026 - The United States has unveiled new changes to the Diversity Visa
Lottery programme, months after suspending it in December 2025.
In a final rule published on March 10th, the U.S.
Department of State announced that all applicants will now be required to
provide a valid, unexpired passport during the application process.
The passport requirement was first introduced in 2019 but
later struck down in 2022 by a federal court.
Now reinstated, the rule takes effect 30 days after
publication, with applicants expected to pay an application fee of Ksh129 ($1)
Officials say the move is aimed at curbing rampant fraud,
which has plagued the programme for years.
While the Government has not confirmed when applications
will reopen, it hinted that the 2027 entry period may be delayed slightly to
give applicants more time to secure passports.
Past reviews of the lottery revealed that up to 17 percent
of entries were rejected for using false identity documents.
Beyond the passport requirement, the updated entry form also
replaces “gender” with “sex” and “age” with “date of birth,” reflecting efforts
to streamline the process.
The programme’s suspension last December followed a tragic
shooting incident at Brown University, where two students were killed.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the pause
at President Trump’s direction, citing safety concerns.
For thousands of hopefuls worldwide, the Diversity Visa
Lottery remains a coveted pathway to permanent residency in the U.S.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
 applicants following its suspension in December last year){kind=link}
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