U.S. Withdraws Visa Lottery Selections for Several Cubans: "It Was an Error"

The U.S. Department of State has announced that numerous individuals born in Cuba were removed from the list of selected entries in the 2026 Diversity Visa Lottery (DV-2026) due to a system error. This glitch temporarily displayed applications as approved when they were not eligible. On October 3, the Department of State officially confirmed that Cubans were not legally allowed to participate in this year's lottery, as the country was excluded from the program for surpassing the migration limit established by law.

The statement explained that the selection system mistakenly provided positive results for a small number of Cuban applicants. This occurred despite the DV-2026 instructions clearly stating that Cuba was excluded from the lottery because over 50,000 Cubans had legally emigrated to the United States in the past five years. This figure exceeds the threshold set by Congress, which determines a country's eligibility for the diversity visa program.

Impact on the Cuban Community

The error raised concerns among Cubans who had received selection notifications and had begun preparing the necessary documentation to proceed. After reviewing the system, the Department of State directly informed those affected that their applications were voided and they were not eligible to continue in the process. A similar issue was identified with applicants from the United Kingdom and some of its dependent territories, who were instructed to verify their status by re-entering their confirmation numbers on the program's official portal.

The Diversity Visa Lottery: Rules and Realities

The Diversity Visa Lottery annually grants up to 55,000 permanent resident visas to citizens of countries with low immigration rates to the U.S. However, the rules are stringent and allow no exceptions: if a country exceeds the migration limit in the past five years, it is automatically excluded from the process.

This announcement has frustrated many Cubans who saw the lottery as a safe and legal path to emigrate. The confusion caused by the initial notification has been particularly painful for those who had made plans or invested time and resources, unaware that the system had given them false hope. Although the group affected is small, the emotional and symbolic impact of the error is significant, especially at a time when many Cubans are seeking ways to leave the country.

Ongoing Scrutiny of the Visa Lottery System

This official correction ends the confusion and clarifies that no Cuban citizen will be processed as a winner of the DV-2026. Cuba's exclusion from the 2026 Diversity Visa Lottery was not unexpected. Since September of last year, the United States had announced that Cuba was excluded for exceeding the legal migration threshold, automatically disqualifying any nation from the annual selection process.

However, this official decision is part of a broader review and tightening of the immigration system. U.S. authorities are investigating over 5.5 million applications, including cases from previous years, to uncover possible irregularities, fraud, or administrative errors within the visa program and other immigration schemes. The Department of State has acknowledged that the Visa Lottery will remain under "continuous investigation" as part of a stricter oversight policy.

While no immediate changes have been announced, the random selection system is facing increasing scrutiny from those advocating for more controlled and merit-based immigration. In this context, Cuban winners of the DV-2025 lottery continue to experience delays and uncertainty. Many submitted their documentation months ago and have yet to receive a response, enhancing the perception that opportunities for legal immigration to the U.S. are becoming increasingly limited, even for those meeting all process requirements.