Passport Requirements for the Green Card Lottery

Derek Lawson

Hey everyone, welcome back to The Immigration Conversation. I’m Derek Lawson, and as always, I’m joined by the one and only Ruby Sturt. Ruby, how’s it going?

Ruby Sturt

G’day, Derek! I’m good, thanks. I’ve got my coffee, I’ve got my notes, and I’m ready to dive into this new passport scan thing. It’s a bit of a shake-up for the Green Card Lottery, isn’t it?

Derek Lawson

Yeah, it really is. So, for folks who haven’t seen the headlines yet, the U.S. government is proposing a new rule for the Diversity Visa Program—what most people call the Green Card Lottery. If this goes through, starting with the 2026 entries, you’ll need to upload a scan of your valid, unexpired passport when you apply. Not after you’re selected, but right at the start.

Ruby Sturt

And that’s a big change, because up until now, you didn’t need a passport at all to enter. You could just throw your hat in the ring and hope for the best. Now, it’s like, “Show us your passport or you’re not even in the running.”

Derek Lawson

Exactly. The State Department says this is all about reducing fraud and tightening up security. They want to make sure people aren’t entering multiple times under different names, or having these third-party outfits submit entries for folks who don’t even know they’re in the lottery. I mean, there have been some pretty wild stories—like, entire fraud rings entering people without their consent, then demanding money if they get selected. It’s not just a rumor; there have been actual cases where people were basically held hostage by these scams.

Ruby Sturt

That’s so dodgy. And I guess, from the government’s perspective, if you have to upload a passport scan, it’s a lot harder for someone else to sneak in an entry for you without your knowledge. Plus, it’s a bit of a national security thing, right? Making sure the people who apply are who they say they are.

Derek Lawson

Yeah, that’s the idea. It’s not just about paperwork—it’s about making the whole process more secure and, hopefully, fairer. But, as we’ll get into, it’s not without its complications.

Ruby Sturt

So, let’s talk about what this actually means if you’re thinking about applying. First off, you need a valid, unexpired passport before you even start your application. Not after you win, not halfway through—right at the beginning. And you’ve got to upload a scan of the photo and signature pages. It’s got to be a JPEG, under 5 megabytes. If you mess that up, your entry’s out.

Derek Lawson

Yeah, and that’s a big shift. I mean, for a lot of people, getting a passport isn’t just a quick trip to the post office. It can take weeks, sometimes months, depending on where you are. And if your passport’s expired, you’re out of luck for this round. So, if you’re even thinking about applying, you really need to get on that now.

Ruby Sturt

And there are a few exceptions, but they’re pretty narrow. If you’re stateless, or you can’t get a passport from your country because it’s, you know, under communist control or there’s some official reason, there are waivers. But for most people, no passport, no entry. I actually had a bit of a laugh about this with my cousin Maya—she was trying to upload a scan for a different government thing, and the portal kept rejecting her file because it was too big, or the wrong format. She ended up taking a photo with her phone, emailing it to herself, and then using some random online tool to shrink it down. So, pro tip: check the file size and format before you hit submit, or you’ll be pulling your hair out like Maya.

Derek Lawson

That’s a great tip. And honestly, it’s easy to overlook those technical details. If your scan isn’t clear, or it’s not the right file type, you could get disqualified and not even know why. So, double-check everything. And if you’re in one of those rare situations where you might qualify for an exception, make sure you have documentation ready, because the State Department’s not going to just take your word for it.

Ruby Sturt

Yeah, and don’t wait until the last minute. The registration window is usually only open for a few weeks in October, and if you’re scrambling to get a passport or fix your scan, you might miss out entirely.

Derek Lawson

So, where does this leave us? The rule isn’t final yet—it’s just been proposed. There’s a 45-day public comment period, and then the government will decide whether to move forward. But if it goes through, it’ll kick in for the 2026 lottery, which opens in October 2025. So, you’ve got some time, but not as much as you think.

Ruby Sturt

And I think the big question is, does this actually make the process fairer, or does it just make it harder for people who already have a tough time getting documents? Like, if you’re in a country where getting a passport is expensive or takes forever, this could be a real barrier. On the other hand, maybe it does cut down on those dodgy third-party entries and makes it more likely that real people get a fair shot.

Derek Lawson

Yeah, it’s a bit of a double-edged sword. I mean, we’ve seen in other areas—like with the new Visa Integrity Fee we talked about a few episodes back—sometimes these changes are meant to stop abuse, but they can also make things harder for genuine applicants. I guess the real test will be whether this actually reduces fraud, or if it just shifts the problem somewhere else.

Ruby Sturt

And I’d say, if you’re thinking about applying, start planning now. Get your passport sorted, practice your scanning skills, and keep an eye on travel.state.gov for updates. And if you’ve got thoughts about the rule, you can actually submit a comment during the public period. It’s not just for lawyers—anyone can weigh in.

Derek Lawson

Absolutely. And we’ll keep following this as it develops. If you’ve got questions or want us to dig deeper into any part of the process, let us know. Ruby, always a pleasure chatting with you about these twists and turns.

Ruby Sturt

Right back at you, Derek. Thanks for tuning in, everyone. We’ll be back soon with more on the ever-changing world of immigration. Take care!

Derek Lawson

See you next time, folks.