EU Blue Card Lottery
Diversity Visa program
Is there a Blue Card Lottery similar to the United States’ Green Card Lottery?
No, there is currently no Blue Card Lottery.
In the US there was the Diversity Visa program, also known as the Green Card Lottery.
This program started in the early nineties when congress wanted to see more cultural diversity in US immigration.
Approximately 50,000 US Green Card were issued annually based on the diversity program - until early 2026.
What the future may hold - speculation
In order to compete with countries such as the United States, the European Commission may be considering expanding the EU Blue Card program by yearly offering a number of blue cards to highly educated/skilled individuals.
This expansion would be likely added when the blue card allows full work and residence rights for the whole of the EU. The key difference with the regular blue card program would be that no job contract, or binding offer, aforehand is required. This expansion will not be called a 'lottery', but rather e.g. Blue Card Diversity. Emphasizing the particular characteristic of the US diversity program that is aimed at a more divers cultural immigration mix. So technically a diversity plus merit based program.
Eligible participants would be non-EU nationals over the age of 18 with high levels of education or professional skill. The EU commission would yearly determine from which countries the majority of the 'winners' should come from, just like the US diversity program.
The US calls it quits
The United States decided in early 2026 to suspend the Diversity Visa Program, also known as the Green Card Lottery. As it is clear the US wants to end the program altogether, we expect the suspension to quietly turn into a cancellation.
This creates an opportunity for Europe. Europe needs highly skilled, educated immigrants. A Blue Card Lottery (basically handing qualified, but random people an EU Blue Card without the need to demonstrate a job contract or binding job offer) would be a smart move. Smart immigration is the path of the future. It made America big in the past. It will make Europe big in the future.
Our initiative
On March 5, 2026, the EU Blue Card Network wrote to the European Commission to make the case for a Blue Card Lottery and to offer its cooperation in developing such a program. Our interactions with candidates and companies over the past 15 years would be highly valuable in helping to create a framework for an EU Blue Card Lottery.
When there is more news on this subject, it will be publised here.
