A US federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to reopen registration for the 2027 Diversity Visa lottery, restoring a route to permanent residency for eligible applicants after the State Department failed to launch the annual entry process on schedule.
US District Judge Jinsook Ohta of the Southern District of California issued a preliminary injunction on October 14, directing Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the department to announce the registration period and open a 30-day electronic entry window. The order also requires the government to notify selected applicants and process their cases under the program’s rules, according to Courthouse News Service.
The ruling follows a lawsuit by California-based immigration law firm Red Eagle Law, which challenged the department’s failure to open registration for the fiscal year 2027 program. The government had argued that it was too late to conduct the lottery within the statutory timeline.
Why was the Diversity Visa lottery delayed?
The State Department announced in November 2025 that it was making changes to the DV-2027 entry process and would announce registration dates later. However, the department did not subsequently open registration, leaving prospective applicants without an opportunity to enter the lottery.
The delay prompted legal action seeking to compel the government to resume the process. The judge’s latest order requires the department to provide registration details, including the opening and closing dates, entry website and participation requirements.
The Diversity Visa program was established under the Immigration Act of 1990. It makes up to 55,000 immigrant visas available annually to eligible applicants from countries with historically low levels of immigration to the US.
Selected applicants must still meet the program’s education or work-experience requirements, complete the immigrant visa application process and satisfy all other eligibility and screening conditions. Selection does not guarantee a visa.
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Will selected applicants receive Green Cards?
The court order revives the registration process, but applicants could face a compressed timeline. The DV-2027 visa year runs from October 1, 2026, to September 30, 2027, leaving less time than usual for selection, document preparation, interviews and visa processing.
A separate issue is the State Department’s pause on diversity visa issuance. In guidance updated on August 31, 2026, the department said it had paused all diversity visa issuances while reviewing screening and vetting procedures. Applicants may submit applications and attend interviews, but the department said visas would not be issued under that guidance.
The latest registration ruling should therefore not be interpreted as confirmation that visa issuance has resumed. The practical outcome will depend on how the department implements the order and how the separate issuance pause develops.
What should applicants know?
Prospective applicants should monitor the official US State Department website for the registration schedule and instructions. They should avoid unofficial websites claiming to guarantee selection or offering unauthorized entry services.
The court’s order could reopen an important immigration route for eligible applicants worldwide. However, the delayed registration and separate pause on visa issuance leave questions over how many selected applicants will ultimately be able to secure permanent residency before the program’s deadline.