The U.S. State Department clarified that Cuban citizens have been excluded from a popular visa program that also offers a path to a U.S. permanent resident card, or green card.

In an update on the matter, the agency said some applicants from the island may have received incorrect information about the selection process.

The United States had previously determined that nationals of the island were ineligible to participate in the visa program, as more than 50,000 Cubans had emigrated to the country in the previous five years, partly due to Biden administration policies such as the humanitarian parole program.

Some bad news about the 2026 visa lottery

The State Department explained that a review was conducted of the participant selection system for the popular visa lottery, formally known as the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV-2026).

This program, which allows thousands of foreigners to obtain a green card in the United States, opened its registration at no cost, but Cuban nationals were excluded from the lottery, which is designed to benefit countries with low rates of immigration to the U.S.

According to the State Department’s Oct. 3 update, a review of the system determined that “a small number of participants from Cuba” may have received “incorrect” information about their selection status.

The DV-2026 instructions specify that Cuban citizens “are not eligible to participate in the 2026 program, as more than 50,000 Cuban citizens emigrated to the United States in the previous five-year period.”

“Accordingly, the Department has notified individuals who selected Cuba as their foreign state of chargeability that they will be ineligible for the 2026 program year,” the agency said.

Participants can apply for the DV program each fiscal year, between October 1 and September 30. The State Department also noted that visas may run out before that date if all visa numbers authorized by Congress for that fiscal year are issued.

With a limit of up to 55,000 visas annually, the program has several requirements, including educational level and work experience, among others. Selection does not guarantee an interview or visa approval.

Registration for the visa lottery is free each year. However, those selected for an interview must pay a fee when they appear before a consular officer. In October 2024, the United States opened registration for the DV-2026 program.

The program operates through a computerized lottery that selects visa candidates after they submit their applications.

A popular option closing doors amid a migration crisis

In recent years, Cuban citizens have been among the groups that have benefited most from the visa program — popularly known on the island as the “Bombo” — according to official records from the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs.

Now, under the Trump administration’s new measures and restrictions, which also affect family reunifications, Cubans are seeing their options to migrate to the United States increasingly limited.

The process has also become more complicated for Cubans applying for nonimmigrant visas, such as those for tourism, business, student programs and temporary workers. A recent U.S. government policy now requires them to apply through the U.S. consulate in Georgetown, Guyana.

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