There has been some recent debate about the actual number of visas available for the DV2020 program (and beyond) due to the NACARA program. Watch the video below for full details!

Charles Oppenheim (the U.S. Department of State (DOS) Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division) apparently provides comments and “predictions” most months after the VB is released about trends. 

Here is an excerpt from his comments on the recent VB – where he seems to have confirmed the long discussed assumption that NACARA near or at it’s end of life, which is probably why the wording has changed. So it does indeed seem we are at 55k global quota, or very close to that, ALTHOUGH, I actually think that has been the case (less overtly) for a few years anyway (as we have discussed from time to time). But that being said there have been recent years where the brakes were applied and we did NOT hit the 55k, so I am not sure we fully get the inner workings of the way they apply the limits yet. 

“Since 1999, 5,000 DV numbers were offset to support the NACARA program. As there are very few remaining NACARA matters, going into 2020, the vast majority of these previously diverted 5,000 numbers will once again be available for usage under the DV program. “

Source: https://www.shusterman.com/visa-bulletin-predictions