Age Requirements for the US Green Card Lottery

The Diversity Visa (DV) lottery, officially known as the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, has no minimum age requirement written into the statute, but applicants must be eligible to file for a visa, which as a practical matter means being at least 18 years old at the time of visa issuance. The program selects approximately 55,000 immigrant visas annually from countries with historically low immigration rates to the United States.

Who Actually Qualifies by Age

The DV lottery places no explicit minimum age floor in its entry rules, yet a real floor exists through a side door. To submit a valid entry, an applicant must meet the high school education requirement or have two years of qualifying work experience within the past five years. Because most people complete secondary school around age 17 or 18, the practical entry minimum lands at roughly 18 years old for the vast majority of applicants.

There is equally no upper age cap for the Green Card lottery. A person who is 65, 72, or even 80 years old can enter, submit a valid petition, and receive a diversity visa if selected and otherwise qualified. Age discrimination is simply not part of the DV program’s selection framework.

Key Finding: The absence of an explicit age ceiling is one of the most misunderstood aspects of the DV lottery, and it meaningfully expands opportunity for older applicants who assume they are automatically disqualified.

The Education Threshold That Creates a De Facto Age Floor

The high school diploma equivalent requirement, meaning successful completion of a 12-year course of elementary and secondary education, operates as the program’s real gatekeeper for younger applicants. The U.S. Department of State administers this standard strictly; a diploma or certificate of completion is required at the time of visa application, not merely at the time of entry submission.

The work experience alternative demands two years of work in an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience, as classified under the U.S. Department of Labor’s O*NET Job Zones system, a publicly accessible database that ranks occupations by the level of preparation they require. Meeting this alternative before age 18 is uncommon in most countries, which reinforces why the program’s real-world floor is effectively 18 years of age.

Input your date of birth and today’s date to find your current age. You can also input a different end date to see what your age would be on that day.

How the Education and Work Requirements Stack Up

What “Equivalent” Actually Means Internationally

Many countries do not structure their school systems on a strict 12-year model, and the State Department evaluates foreign credentials against a US equivalency standard. A candidate from a country with a 10-year compulsory school system followed by 2 years of upper secondary or technical training may still qualify if the combined track reaches the functional equivalent of a US high school diploma.

Private credential evaluation services, such as World Education Services (WES) and Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE), can prepare formal equivalency reports, though the State Department makes its own independent determination at the consular interview. Applicants who are uncertain about whether their credentials qualify should obtain an independent evaluation before assuming eligibility, since a disqualification at the interview stage cannot be appealed.

The GED (General Educational Development test), which is a battery of tests that US residents use to demonstrate high school-level academic skills without holding a traditional diploma, is accepted as a qualifying credential for DV lottery purposes. Applicants who completed their education through a GED pathway rather than a traditional diploma should bring documentation of their scores and credential at the interview.

Derivative Beneficiaries and Age Protection Rules

A winning DV lottery selectee, meaning the principal applicant who was randomly chosen, may bring qualifying family members to the United States on derivative visas (visas tied to another person’s primary immigration case). Unmarried children under age 21 qualify as derivative beneficiaries and can accompany or follow the principal applicant.

The Child Status Protection Act (CSPA), a federal law enacted in 2002 that prevents children from aging out of eligibility due to government processing delays, applies in limited ways to the DV program. The CSPA allows a child’s age to be calculated by subtracting the time a visa petition was pending from the child’s actual biological age, locking in a younger “CSPA age” for eligibility purposes. However, DV cases involve specific timing rules that can make CSPA protection more complicated to apply than in family-sponsored or employment-based immigration categories.

Children who turn 21 before a visa is issued risk losing derivative eligibility entirely, a scenario called aging out. Families in countries where visa numbers are immediately available face less risk, but selectees from oversubscribed regions must monitor processing timelines carefully to protect children nearing the age 21 cutoff.

The Mechanics of CSPA Calculation in DV Cases

Under CSPA, a child’s “CSPA age” is calculated by taking their biological age on the date a visa number becomes available and subtracting the number of days the DV petition was pending. In DV cases, the “petition” is considered pending from the date the lottery entry was submitted through the date the selectee is notified and their case becomes active.

Because DV selectees are notified on a rolling basis beginning in May of the year preceding the visa fiscal year, and because visa numbers become available on October 1, there is typically a period of several months during which the CSPA calculation can meaningfully reduce a child’s calculated age. However, if the result still places the child at 21 or older, CSPA provides no relief and the child is ineligible as a derivative.

Critically, the CSPA age freeze only applies if the child “sought to acquire” lawful permanent resident status within one year of a visa becoming available. Failure to take timely action forfeits CSPA protection even when the calculated age would otherwise be under 21.

What the Annual Entry Window Means for Age Timing

The DV lottery entry period, officially called the Electronic Diversity Visa Entry (E-DV) period, typically opens in early October and closes in early November each year for visas that will be issued in the fiscal year beginning October 1 of the following year. The gap between entry submission and actual visa issuance spans roughly 12 to 18 months.

This timeline matters for age calculations. An applicant who is 17 at the time of entry submission may turn 18 well before any interview or visa issuance, fully satisfying the practical age threshold. Conversely, a child listed as a derivative beneficiary who is 20 at entry may turn 21 before the case is processed, triggering the aging-out risk described above.

Important: The relevant age for determining a principal applicant’s education eligibility is assessed at the visa interview stage, not at the lottery entry stage.

Birth Date Documentation Requirements

Applicants must be prepared to present original birth certificates or certified equivalents at the consular interview. The name on the DV entry must match the name on official identity documents exactly, and the birth date listed in the entry must align with the birth certificate. Discrepancies between the entry birth date and the supporting document can result in disqualification even when the underlying age is valid.

In countries where civil birth registration is unreliable or birth certificates are unavailable, consular officers apply the Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM), the State Department’s internal policy guidance, which provides procedures for establishing age through secondary evidence such as school records, religious records, or hospital records. Applicants from countries with known documentation gaps, including parts of Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, are encouraged to gather secondary evidence proactively before their interview date.

Countries Excluded and How Nativity Interacts with Age

The DV program bars applicants whose country of birth sent more than 50,000 immigrants to the United States in the previous two years. Currently ineligible countries include Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (mainland-born), Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland), Venezuela, and Vietnam. This list changes annually.

Importantly, nativity, meaning the country where a person was born, determines eligibility, not citizenship or current residence. A person born in an ineligible country may use a spouse’s country of birth if the spouse is from an eligible country, provided both spouses are named on the entry and both receive visas together. This nativity-transfer rule applies regardless of either spouse’s age, as long as both otherwise qualify.

Eligible vs. Ineligible: Nativity Factors at a Glance

What Happens When a Child Is Born in an Ineligible Country

A derivative child’s country of birth is not independently evaluated for DV eligibility purposes. If the principal applicant or their spouse qualifies under nativity rules, the child’s birth country is irrelevant to their derivative status. The child simply needs to be unmarried and under age 21 at the time of visa issuance.

This creates an important distinction for families where parents were born in an eligible country but their child was born in an ineligible country during temporary residence or travel abroad. That child still qualifies as a derivative beneficiary without penalty, which is a nuance frequently misunderstood by applicants researching country eligibility rules independently.

Registering Correctly Across Different Age Groups

Younger applicants submitting their first DV entry often make the mistake of thinking parental consent paperwork is required. The State Department’s Electronic Diversity Visa Entry system does not require parental consent documentation at the entry stage, though consular officers have discretion to ask questions during the interview.

Adults over 50 sometimes mistakenly self-disqualify by assuming the program favors younger applicants or that age will count against them in adjudication. The selection process is a random computer drawing, administered by the Kentucky Consular Center, in which each entry has an equal mathematical chance. Age is simply not a variable in the algorithm.

Applicants of any age must submit only one entry per lottery period. Submitting multiple entries results in automatic disqualification, regardless of age or otherwise-qualifying status. The State Department’s system detects duplicate entries, and this rule is enforced without exception.

Photograph Requirements and How They Relate to Age

Every DV lottery entry requires a recent passport-style photograph taken within six months of the entry submission date. For young applicants whose appearance changes rapidly, this recency requirement is more than administrative. A photograph that was clearly taken several years prior, even if technically within six months, can raise credibility concerns during the consular interview.

The photograph must meet specific technical specifications published by the State Department:

• It must be 2 inches by 2 inches.
• It must show a full frontal view with a neutral expression.
• It must have a white or off-white background.
• It must show the full face without obstructions.
• Eyeglasses have been prohibited since 2016.
• Children included as derivatives must also have individual photographs submitted on behalf of the principal applicant’s entry.

Avoiding Common Entry Errors by Age Group

Processing Steps Where Age Becomes Operationally Critical

Once a selectee’s case becomes “current,” meaning a visa number is available according to the monthly Visa Bulletin published by the State Department, the applicant has until September 30 of the relevant fiscal year to complete the process. Visas not issued by that date are permanently lost; there are no rollovers.

For families with children near age 21, the race against the fiscal year deadline is meaningfully consequential. If a child turns 21 before the visa is issued and CSPA protection does not apply, that child must pursue a separate immigration pathway entirely.

The medical examination required by USCIS and the State Department carries no age-based pass or fail threshold in the DV context, though certain vaccinations are required, and some medical conditions can render an applicant inadmissible regardless of age.

Age and the Medical Examination Process

The immigration medical examination, conducted by a State Department-designated civil surgeon or panel physician depending on whether the applicant is adjusting status inside the US or processing abroad, includes vaccination verification requirements that vary by age. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) vaccination schedule, which is the standard used for immigration medical exams, recommends different vaccines for different age brackets.

Key age-specific vaccination rules include the following:

• Varicella (chickenpox) vaccination is required for applicants aged 1 year and older.
• HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine applies as a standard requirement to applicants aged 11 through 26, with conditional recommendations for ages 27 through 45.
• Zoster (shingles) vaccine requirements apply to applicants aged 50 and older.
• Missing required vaccines does not automatically result in denial but creates a Class B medical condition notation that requires vaccination before visa issuance.
• Applicants aged 15 and older must undergo a tuberculosis (TB) test as part of the examination.
• Medical examination results are valid for two years from the date of the exam.

Adjusting Status Inside the United States vs. Consular Processing

DV selectees who are already lawfully present in the United States may have the option to adjust status, a process by which an immigrant visa applicant changes from a temporary nonimmigrant status to permanent resident status without leaving the country. This is handled through USCIS Form I-485, the Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status.

Age matters differently in the adjustment of status context. The one-year fiscal year deadline still applies; an I-485 filed for a DV case must result in approval before September 30 of the relevant fiscal year, or the visa number expires and the application is denied. A child derivative who files an I-485 and turns 21 during adjudication loses eligibility if CSPA does not freeze their age below 21.

Applicants adjusting status must also verify that their current visa status permits adjustment. Certain nonimmigrant statuses, including C, D, K-1 without marriage, or J-1 with a two-year home residency requirement, either bar adjustment or require additional steps. These restrictions apply regardless of the applicant’s age.

Consular Processing Timeline vs. Adjustment of Status: Age Risk Comparison

What Happens After Winning: Age at the Interview

Winning the DV lottery, formally called being a selectee, does not guarantee a visa. The consular interview is where eligibility is fully verified, including education credentials, civil documents, and admissibility under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), the primary federal statute governing immigration law in the United States.

At the interview, the consular officer will verify the applicant’s age against their birth certificate and passport. If the age recorded in the DV entry differs from the age in official documents, even by a matter of days due to a typographical error, the discrepancy must be resolved before a visa can be issued. The consular officer has authority to request additional documentation or, in cases of fraud, to deny the visa and potentially impose a permanent bar.

Older applicants should be aware that the Public Charge rule, a standard under which an applicant can be denied a visa if they are deemed likely to become primarily dependent on government assistance, is evaluated in part through a totality-of-circumstances test that can include age as one factor among many. This does not mean older applicants are presumptively disqualified; rather, age is one data point weighed alongside income, assets, health, education, and family support.

Practical Checklist for Applicants at Different Life Stages

The following steps reflect what applicants in different age brackets should verify before submitting a DV entry:

1. Applicants aged 17 to 19: Confirm a high school diploma or equivalent will be in hand before any visa interview, not just before lottery entry.
2. Applicants aged 20 to 35: Verify country of birth eligibility each year, since the excluded-country list updates annually.
3. Applicants aged 36 to 50: Confirm all family members are correctly listed; adding a spouse or child after entry submission is not permitted.
4. Applicants aged 51 and older: Recognize there is no penalty for age and no preference given to younger applicants in the random selection.
5. Parents of children aged 18 to 20: Monitor the Visa Bulletin monthly and request expedited processing if a child risks turning 21 before visa issuance.
6. Married couples with different birth countries: Confirm whether the nativity-transfer option applies and list the eligible country correctly at entry.
7. Applicants with foreign credentials: Obtain an independent credential evaluation from a recognized service before the interview to pre-empt consular disputes over education equivalency.
8. Applicants with no birth certificate: Begin gathering secondary documentation, including school records, hospital records, or religious records, well in advance of the interview.

The Numbers Behind the Program’s Scale

Impressively, the State Department receives roughly 8 to 15 million entries in a typical DV lottery year, from which approximately 55,000 visas are ultimately issued. Selectee numbers are typically in the range of 80,000 to 100,000 to account for applicants who do not complete processing or are found ineligible at interview.

The Kentucky Consular Center in Williamsburg, Kentucky, administers the random selection process. The center notifies selectees through the Entrant Status Check portal at dvlottery.state.gov, which is the only official notification channel. Scam letters and fraudulent emails claiming lottery wins are common, and the State Department consistently warns applicants that no fee is charged for official lottery notification.

Visa numbers are allocated across six geographic regions: Africa, Asia, Europe, North America (other than Mexico), Oceania, and South America and the Caribbean. Each region receives a fixed share of the 55,000 available visas, and no single country can receive more than 7 percent of the annual total, which equals roughly 3,850 visas per country.

How Regional Allocation Affects Processing Speed and Age Risk

Africa consistently receives the largest share of DV visas, typically around 40 to 45 percent of the annual total, followed by Europe at roughly 20 to 25 percent. Asia and Oceania receive smaller allocations. This distribution is not based on population size but on the inverse of recent immigration flows, rewarding regions that are historically underrepresented in US immigration.

The practical consequence for age calculations is that applicants from heavily allocated regions tend to receive lower case numbers, meaning they are processed earlier in the fiscal year and face less risk of running into the September 30 deadline. Applicants from regions with smaller allocations who receive high case numbers may not be reached until August or September, compressing the available processing window and significantly increasing aging-out risk for children near 21.

Inadmissibility Grounds That Apply Regardless of Age

Meeting the age and education requirements is necessary but not sufficient. DV selectees of any age must also clear inadmissibility grounds under the INA, which include criminal history, health-related grounds, prior immigration violations, and national security concerns. Several of these grounds interact meaningfully with age.

Criminal inadmissibility applies to anyone convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude (a legal term referring to conduct that is inherently dishonest, corrupt, or contrary to accepted moral standards) or a controlled substance offense, regardless of how old the person was when the offense occurred. Juvenile adjudications, which are court findings against minors that are not technically criminal convictions, are generally not considered convictions for immigration purposes, but expunged adult convictions are still evaluable.

Unlawful presence bars arise when a person has been physically present in the United States without authorization. The rules operate as follows:

• Accumulating more than 180 days of unlawful presence triggers a 3-year bar from admission.
• Accumulating more than one year of unlawful presence triggers a 10-year bar from admission.
• Unlawful presence does not begin to accrue for individuals under age 18.
• A person who entered the US as a minor without authorization does not accumulate unlawful presence during their minority, which can meaningfully affect admissibility calculations for young adult DV applicants.

Dual Intent, Nonimmigrant Visas, and Age-Related Planning

The DV program is an immigrant visa pathway, meaning it confers permanent residence from the outset. Unlike employment-based or family-sponsored green card processes, there is no intermediate nonimmigrant visa stage specific to the DV program itself. However, many DV selectees are already in the United States on nonimmigrant visas when they win.

Dual intent, the principle that a nonimmigrant visa holder can simultaneously intend to immigrate permanently, is recognized for some visa categories but not others. The breakdown is as follows:

• Holders of H-1B (specialty occupation worker) and L-1 (intracompany transferee) visas are explicitly permitted to pursue permanent residence simultaneously.
• Holders of B-1/B-2 tourist or visitor visas are in a complicated position because those visas require nonimmigrant intent.
• Holders of F-1 student visas and J-1 exchange visitor visas face similar complications, as a pending DV adjustment application can suggest immigrant intent.

Age interacts with this issue most commonly for F-1 student visa holders, who are often in their early to mid-20s when they win the lottery. An F-1 holder who files an I-485 to adjust status using a DV visa number must be careful about international travel, since departing the US while an adjustment application is pending without an Advance Parole travel document (a form of authorization that allows a pending adjustment applicant to re-enter the US after travel abroad) can result in the application being deemed abandoned.

Frequently Overlooked Scenarios Involving Age

Winners Who Are Pregnant at the Time of Visa Issuance

A DV selectee who is pregnant at the time their visa is issued may wonder whether the unborn child can be included as a derivative. The answer is no: a child must be born before the visa interview and formally listed as a derivative beneficiary. An unborn child cannot be added to a pending DV case. If the child is born before the visa is issued and there is time remaining in the fiscal year, the child can be added as a derivative, but this requires a separate interview appointment and additional processing time.

Adult Children Who Were Minors When the Entry Was Submitted

A parent sometimes submits a DV entry listing a child who was 19 at the time of entry. By the time the case is processed 12 to 18 months later, that child may be 20 or 21. The child’s eligibility as a derivative is determined at the time of visa issuance, not at the time of entry. A child who turns 21 during processing ages out, regardless of their age when listed on the original entry.

Selectees Who Divorce During Processing

If a DV selectee divorces between winning the lottery and receiving the visa, the former spouse loses derivative eligibility entirely. The divorce does not affect the principal applicant’s eligibility. Children of the marriage who are under 21 and unmarried retain their derivative status through the principal applicant, provided they were listed on the original entry. This means the age of children at the time of divorce, relative to the processing timeline, can determine whether they benefit from the DV visa.

Applicants Who Age Into the Work Experience Requirement

An applicant who was too young to meet the high school diploma requirement at entry but subsequently completes their education before the interview is in a valid position. Similarly, an applicant who entered the lottery relying on the work experience alternative must still meet that standard at the interview stage; work accumulated between entry and interview can count toward the two-year requirement as long as the total qualifying period within the prior five years is met at the time of the consular appointment.

FAQs

What is the minimum age to enter the US Green Card lottery?

There is no explicitly stated minimum age in the Diversity Visa statute, but applicants must meet either the high school diploma requirement or the qualifying work experience standard. In practice, this makes age 18 the realistic floor for most applicants around the world.

Is there a maximum age limit for the DV lottery?

No, there is no upper age limit for the US Diversity Visa lottery. Applicants who are 60, 70, or 80 years old are equally eligible to enter and receive a visa if selected, as long as they meet the education or work experience requirement.

Can a 16-year-old enter the Green Card lottery?

A 16-year-old can technically submit an entry if they already hold a qualifying high school diploma or equivalent credential, but most will not yet meet that requirement. Even if an entry is submitted, eligibility is verified at the visa interview stage, by which point the applicant typically needs to be at least 18.

Do children need their own Green Card lottery entry?

No. Children under age 21 are listed as derivative beneficiaries on the principal applicant’s entry and do not file separate lottery registrations. They travel with or follow the principal applicant using a derivative visa tied to the winner’s case.

What happens if my child turns 21 during DV lottery processing?

A child who turns 21 before a visa is issued ages out and loses derivative eligibility. The Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) may freeze the child’s age in limited circumstances, but DV cases have strict fiscal year deadlines that make CSPA relief less reliable than in other visa categories.

Does age affect my chances of winning the DV lottery?

No. The Diversity Visa selection is a random computer drawing administered by the Kentucky Consular Center. Every eligible entry has an equal mathematical probability of selection regardless of the applicant’s age, gender, or any other personal characteristic.

Can a retired person over 65 get a Green Card through the DV lottery?

Yes. A person who is 65 or older can enter the DV lottery, be selected, complete the consular interview, and receive a Green Card. The only requirements are meeting the education or work experience standard and being admissible to the United States, neither of which has an age cutoff.

What is the education requirement for the DV lottery and how does it relate to age?

The education requirement is completion of a 12-year formal elementary and secondary education program, equivalent to a US high school diploma. Most people achieve this around age 17 or 18, which is why 18 functions as the effective real-world minimum age for DV lottery participation.

Can a spouse born in an ineligible country use their partner’s eligible birth country?

Yes. If one spouse was born in an ineligible country and the other spouse was born in an eligible country, the applicant can claim the eligible spouse’s birth country for nativity purposes. Both spouses must be named on the entry, and both must receive visas together; this rule applies regardless of either spouse’s age.

How long does the DV process take, and how does that affect age eligibility?

The process from lottery entry to visa issuance typically spans 12 to 18 months. Applicants who are nearly 18 at entry will generally be well past that threshold by interview time. Families with children near 21 should monitor the monthly Visa Bulletin closely because the fiscal year deadline is September 30 and aging out is permanent.

Is there a fee for the Green Card lottery, and does age affect the fee?

Entering the DV lottery is completely free through the official government portal at dvlottery.state.gov. There is no age-based fee difference. Any website or individual charging a fee for lottery submission is operating a scam; the State Department does not charge an entry fee to any applicant.

Can a minor child be the principal applicant in the DV lottery?

While technically not prohibited by an explicit age rule, a minor under 18 is unlikely to meet the high school education requirement and faces practical barriers at the consular interview stage. In virtually all real-world cases, adults aged 18 and older serve as principal applicants, with children listed as derivatives.

What is the Child Status Protection Act and why does it matter for the DV lottery?

The Child Status Protection Act (CSPA), enacted in 2002, is a federal law that calculates a child’s age for immigration purposes by subtracting visa petition processing time from the child’s biological age. It was designed to prevent children from aging out due to government delays. In DV cases, its application is narrower than in other visa categories because the entire DV program must close by September 30 of each fiscal year, leaving limited room for CSPA adjustments.

Does the DV lottery favor applicants from specific age groups?

No. The random selection algorithm used by the Kentucky Consular Center assigns no weight to age. Selection probability depends entirely on submitting a valid, non-duplicate entry during the official window, typically October through November each year.

What regions receive the most DV visas, and does that interact with age limits?

Africa typically receives the largest regional allocation, followed by Europe, under the program’s six-region framework. Regional allocations do not change based on applicant age. Any eligible applicant from an eligible country within any region has the same opportunity to receive one of the 55,000 annual visas regardless of how old they are.

Does unlawful presence in the US affect DV lottery applicants differently based on age?

Yes. Unlawful presence does not begin to accrue for individuals under age 18, meaning minors who entered without authorization do not accumulate the days that trigger 3-year or 10-year bars to admission. Once a person turns 18, unlawful presence begins counting, so young adult DV applicants with prior undocumented time in the US should calculate their exposure carefully before applying.

Can a GED substitute for a high school diploma in the DV lottery?

Yes. The GED credential, which certifies high school academic equivalency through a battery of standardized tests, is accepted as a qualifying credential for DV lottery purposes. Applicants who earned a GED rather than a traditional diploma should bring full documentation of their results to the consular interview.

What vaccines are required at the immigration medical exam, and do they change by age?

Vaccination requirements for the immigration medical examination vary by age group according to the ACIP schedule. For example, HPV vaccine requirements apply to ages 11 through 26 as standard and conditionally through age 45, while shingles vaccine requirements apply starting at age 50. Missing a required vaccine does not automatically cause denial but must be resolved before visa issuance.

What happens to a DV derivative child if the principal applicant divorces before the visa is issued?

A divorce during DV processing terminates the former spouse’s derivative eligibility immediately. However, children of the marriage who are unmarried and under age 21 retain their derivative status through the principal applicant, provided they were listed on the original lottery entry.

Can an unborn child be added as a DV derivative beneficiary?

No. An unborn child cannot be listed as a derivative beneficiary. The child must be born before the visa interview to be added to the case, and even then, adding a newborn requires a separate appointment and additional processing time before the September 30 fiscal year deadline.

How does the Public Charge rule interact with age for older DV applicants?

The Public Charge rule evaluates whether an applicant is likely to become primarily dependent on government assistance, using a totality-of-circumstances test that may include age as one factor among many including income, assets, health, and family support. Older applicants are not presumptively disqualified, but those with limited income or assets and health conditions may face closer scrutiny at the consular interview regardless of their DV lottery win.