Quick Hits
- DV-2026 visa processing and DV-2027 lottery registration have faced separate disruptions.
- DV-2027 registration remains closed, with no confirmed opening date.
Diversity Visa Lottery Background
Each year, the Diversity Visa program offers up to 55,000 immigrant visas to eligible individuals from countries with historically low levels of immigration to the United States. The process begins when individuals enter the lottery, and the State Department randomly selects entrants. Those selected may then apply for an immigrant visa or, if eligible, seek adjustment of status to lawful permanent residence in the United States.
As discussed in our June 2025 article on the DV lottery, selection does not guarantee a visa. Principal applicants must still meet education or qualifying work experience requirements and complete the remaining immigration process.
The program’s name identifies a federal fiscal year, not the calendar year in which people enter the lottery. For example, the State Department selected DV-2026 entrants on May 3, 2025. For DV-2027, the State Department has identified October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027, as the visa application period, even though registration has not opened.
Key Events Leading to the DV-2027 Stay
September–November 2025. The State Department adopted a $1 lottery entry fee, then delayed DV-2027 registration without announcing an opening date.
December 2025–early 2026. The State Department paused DV visa issuance, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) held decisions on DV green card applications. These measures affected people already selected, not the separate delay in opening DV-2027 registration.
March–April 2026. The State Department adopted a DV-2027 rule requiring most entrants to submit passport details. The rule took effect April 10, but registration remained closed.
August 19, 2026. Red Eagle Law, L.C., sued in its own name to require the State Department to open DV-2027 registration.
August 28, 2026. In a separate case, Medani v. Trump, a court ordered DV visa processing to resume. The State Department said its December 2025 issuance pause was no longer in effect. DV-2027 registration remained closed.
September 30–October 1, 2026. The DV-2026 visa year ended, and the DV-2027 visa year began without an open registration period.
October 14, 2026. In Red Eagle Law, L.C. v. Rubio, the court ordered the State Department to launch DV-2027. Under the revised timetable, the State Department had to:
- announce entry dates and requirements by October 29;
- open registration for thirty days by November 1; and
- notify selected entrants by December 3, 2026.
The October 14, 2026, order also required timely processing of DV-2027 visa applications. The government appealed.
Recent Updates
October 29, 2026: The Ninth Circuit temporarily stayed the district court’s order requiring the State Department to open DV-2027 registration. The appeals court granted the government’s request for an emergency stay. A stay temporarily suspends the lower court’s requirements while the appeal proceeds. As a result, the State Department was no longer required to meet the injunction’s October 29 announcement, November 1 registration, and December 3 selection-notification deadlines while the stay remains in effect.
November 1–2, 2026: DV-2027 registration remains closed. The previously ordered November 1 opening did not take place, and no confirmed replacement opening date is available. The stay does not finally resolve whether the State Department’s failure to launch the program is lawful.
Ogletree Deakins’ Immigration Practice Group will continue to monitor developments and will post updates on the Immigration blog as additional information becomes available.
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