KATHMANDU: Nepali applicants for the US Diversity Visa (DV) lottery will soon have to pay a $1 fee when submitting their applications, a process that has been free until now.
According to a notice published in the Federal Register, the US State Department has decided to introduce the nominal fee beginning with the DV-2027 program, which opens in October 2025.
Officials said the measure aims to reduce fraudulent applications and distribute administrative costs fairly among all applicants.
While the new application fee will apply, other requirements remain unchanged. Applicants will still need a valid passport to submit their entries, and those selected will continue to pay the standard $330 visa processing fee at the consular stage.
The State Department will soon issue detailed guidelines on payment methods and the countries where the new rule applies. However, the notice clarified that the payment must be made through the US government’s official online payment portal.
The fee will be integrated into the DV application form itself: applicants will pay online before submission. International payment systems such as Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, and American Express will be accepted.
In Nepal, the most reliable options remain Visa and MasterCard, which are issued by local banks. Applicants are advised to confirm transaction limits with their banks in advance to avoid payment issues.
The move marks the first time in the program’s history that a fee will be charged at the application stage.
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