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How to read your case number
A DV case number such as 2026AF00012345 has three parts: the program year (2026), your region (AF) and your rank (12345, without the leading zeros). The regions are AF Africa, AS Asia, EU Europe, NA North America (Bahamas), OC Oceania and SA South America and the Caribbean. On the DS-260 Sign and Submit page you type it without the zeros: 2026AF12345.
Each month the Visa Bulletin publishes a DV cut-off for every region. Visas are available only to applicants whose rank is below the cut-off, and some countries have their own, lower cut-off. The Kentucky Consular Center then schedules interviews in order, for applicants whose DS-260 is complete.
DS-260 for DV selectees ↗ The DV interview ↗The last DV-2026 cut-offs
| Region | September 2026 | August 2026 | July 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Africa AF | 101,250 | 60,000 | 55,000 |
| except Algeria | 85,000 | 51,250 | 40,000 |
| except Egypt | 50,000 | 36,000 | 31,000 |
| Asia AS | 40,000 | 40,000 | 35,000 |
| except Nepal | 13,500 | 13,500 | 13,000 |
| Europe EU | 47,500 | 29,000 | 23,000 |
| North America (Bahamas) NA | Current | Current | 50 |
| Oceania OC | 3,000 | 2,050 | 1,700 |
| South America and the Caribbean SA | 4,750 | 4,000 | 3,300 |
From the official Visa Bulletins. The September 2026 bulletin also reduced the DV-2026 annual limit to about 52,101 visas. Visa availability through the end of a year is never guaranteed: numbers can run out before 30 September.
Visa Bulletin archive ↗Questions
What does my DV case number mean?
It is the program year, your region and your rank: in 2026AF00012345, 2026 is the program, AF is Africa and 12345 is the rank. Only the rank is compared with the Visa Bulletin.
When is a case number current?
When its rank is below the DV cut-off published for your region in that month’s Visa Bulletin, or below your country’s own cut-off when the bulletin lists your country separately. “Current” means every qualified applicant in the region can be scheduled.
My number is current. Will I get an interview?
Only if your DS-260 is complete and the embassy has room. The Kentucky Consular Center schedules interviews in rank order once a visa number is available, so a current number is necessary but not a guarantee.
Can I still use a DV-2026 case number?
No. DV-2026 visas could only be issued until 30 September 2026, and there is no carry-over to the next year.
When will DV-2027 numbers appear?
After DV-2027 selection results are released. The Department of State had not opened DV-2027 registration by October 2026, so no DV-2027 case numbers or cut-offs exist yet.
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