The "Green Card" became paid!

The U.S. Department of State announced that starting from mid-October 2025, applicants submitting entries for the "Green Card" lottery will be charged a fee of 1 dollar. Previously, participants submitted applications for free.

The new fee is aimed at covering administrative costs — updating systems, storing data, and conducting security checks.

According to estimates, this measure will bring about 25 million dollars in revenue to the federal budget annually. The fee is non-refundable in case of an unsuccessful application.

Previously, participants only paid 330 dollars upon winning to process documents, but now a 1 dollar fee is required from each applicant at the time of submission.