US moves to tighten identity checks for some applicants in green card lottery process

The US Department of State has proposed a rule requiring Diversity Visa (DV) Program applicants to upload a scan of the biographic and signature page of a valid, unexpired passport during their entry submission. The move aims to curb widespread fraud and identity misuse reported in recent years.

Under the proposed change, petitioners must enter their passport number, issuing country, expiration date, and upload the relevant pages during the DV application process. Exceptions will be allowed only for stateless individuals, nationals of communist-controlled countries who are unable to obtain a passport, or beneficiaries of an approved waiver.

The Diversity Visa Program grants up to 55,000 immigrant visas annually to nationals of countries with historically low rates of immigration to the US. The Department has identified persistent fraud in the program, including third-party scams and fake documents, and says the new requirement will improve national security and streamline consular screening.


“Requiring passport information on the DV petition would make it much more difficult for unauthorized third parties to enter someone with partial information,” the Department said in its regulatory filing. The Department noted that fraud rings in Bangladesh, Ukraine, Cambodia, and Moldova had exploited the program by submitting fake entries and extorting or deceiving legitimate applicants.

The Department also cited an example from Embassy Kyiv, where a travel agency-linked fraud ring required Ukrainians to pay up to $15,000 to retrieve their application details or be forced into fake marriages to help others immigrate.

Previously, a similar rule was introduced in 2019 but was vacated in 2022 on procedural grounds. During its enforcement from 2021 to 2023, duplicate entry disqualifications dropped significantly—falling to 760,079 in FY22 from 2.5 million in FY25 when the passport requirement was absent.

As per the new rule, passport data would also enable early verification of an applicant’s place of birth, which determines country chargeability under US immigration law. “Currently, entrants to the Diversity Visa program self-select their foreign state of chargeability… Requiring verification of this information earlier… will enable the Department to better assess selectees' eligibility,” the proposal said.

The scan will also help cross-check names in native scripts, verify signatures, and detect passport anomalies that may suggest fraud or ineligibility.

To comply with Executive Order 14161, which directs federal agencies to confirm identities during vetting, the proposal aligns the DV process with broader security protocols. In addition, the Department plans language updates across its regulations, including replacing “gender” with “sex” as per Executive Order 14168 and modifying terminology to simplify consular guidance.

The Department estimates the global cost of the added burden at around $38 million, based on a $1.52 time cost per applicant and 25 million anticipated entries. The average passport cost in DV-eligible countries is estimated at $74.43.

In response to concerns about access, the Department stated that “most entrants will be able to quickly scan the passport with a single photo taken by a mobile phone.” However, petitioners who falsely claim an exemption or fail to provide correct passport data risk disqualification.

Despite a drop in applications during the passport-requirement years, the Department confirmed that all regional quotas were met. Participation rebounded in FY24 after the rule was lifted, with 23.8 million entries. Yet, fraudulent entries surged again, prompting renewed action.

The Department has sought public comments on passport affordability, document accessibility, mobile phone usage, and passport ownership rates in DV-eligible countries before finalising the rule.