DV Lottery for China: Eligibility, Odds and What to Prepare

Natives of China could not enter DV-2026

China was on the DV-2026 list of countries whose natives could not enter, because more than 50,000 of its natives immigrated to the United States in the previous five years. The list changes every year and no DV-2027 list has been published. If China is excluded again, a person born there can still enter only through a spouse’s country of birth, or a parent’s country of birth if neither parent was born in or resident of China at the time of birth.

Country of birth normally determines chargeability. Citizenship or current residence alone does not replace it. Check spouse, parent and territory exceptions in the actual cycle’s instructions.

No PP 10998 restriction named for China

China is not named in the PP 10998 nationality lists in our source snapshot. This is not a general visa or travel clearance; other rules can apply, and restrictions change.

Nationality, passport, location and visa validity at the effective date can matter. Limited exceptions require individual review. Do not treat a country selector as a final eligibility ruling.

How many people from China enter and are selected

The State Department did not publish separate entry or selectee figures for China in the years we compiled; its entrants may be counted under another country of chargeability.

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What to prepare if you were born in China

1. Passport: valid and unexpired, with its number, issuing country and expiry date ready, and a JPEG scan of the biographic and signature page (5 MB or less). Check it free on your device →
2. Photo: 600 × 600 pixels, JPEG, 240 KB or less, taken within six months, head 50–69% of the height, no glasses. Frame it free →
3. Your name in the Roman alphabet, exactly as in your passport, with your city and country of birth as recorded in your documents.
4. Your family: your spouse and every unmarried child under 21, each with a compliant photo, even if they will not immigrate. See who must be listed →
5. Your qualification: a formal 12-year education or two qualifying years of work in the past five. Check the rules →

Run the complete entry check to see your acceptance score and every problem before you submit on the official site.

After selection: documents from China

A person born in China may need police or civil records from more than one country because of past residence, marriage, birth or arrest history. The format of each record depends on the country that issued it, not only on your nationality: use the official document finder for every country involved.

What happens after selection → · Documents after selection →