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U.S. federal judge Jinsook Ohta ordered the State Department to reopen registration for the Diversity Visa Program for fiscal year 2027, known as the Visa Lottery or Green Card Lottery. That decision, made in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California on October 14, 2026, sets deadlines to announce the call, enable electronic registration, and notify selected people.
The preliminary injunction came after a lawsuit against Secretary of State Marco Rubio over the failure to open the registration period. The court later modified the schedule at the joint request of the parties.
The program offers the possibility of applying for an immigrant visa to obtain permanent residency in the United States. However, being selected does not guarantee that the visa will be granted, since participants must meet the legal requirements and complete the corresponding evaluation steps.
Why did the courts order the visa lottery to be reopened for 2027?
Federal judge Jinsook Ohta granted a preliminary injunction in the case Red Eagle Law, L.C. v. Rubio, filed against Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The lawsuit challenged the State Department’s failure to open registration for the Diversity Visa Program for fiscal year 2027.
According to Immigration Analytics, the order requires the government to announce the registration dates, identify the website where electronic applications will be received, publish the requirements to participate, and disseminate the information through the State Department’s usual channels, including the Federal Register.
What does the court order require from the State Department?
In addition to ordering the opening of registration, the ruling establishes specific obligations for the State Department. Among them, it must accept electronic applications that meet the legal and documentary requirements and process the cases in accordance with the applicable procedures.
The court also ordered the process to continue, subject to current law, until the visas allocated for fiscal year 2027 or until September 30, 2027, whichever comes first. The judge retains jurisdiction to enforce or modify the injunction if necessary.
When will registration open for the 2027 visa lottery, and what is the new deadline?
The original court order set a schedule for announcing and opening registration. After both parties requested changes to the deadlines, the judge approved a new calendar on October 14, 2026. According to the case tracking published by Immigration Analytics, the updated deadlines are as follows:
- October 29, 2026: deadline for the State Department to officially announce the registration period.
- November 1, 2026: deadline to open electronic registration.
- 30 days: length of the registration period.
- December 3, 2026: deadline to notify selected applicants.
The October 29 and November 1 dates are maximum deadlines, so the State Department may announce the call and enable the form before those dates. The visa issuance process may continue until the allocation for fiscal year 2027 runs out or until September 30, 2027, whichever comes first. It should be noted that being selected does not guarantee that the applicant will receive a visa before that date.
On the other hand, the State Department announced in August 2026 a pause in the issuance of diversity visas. The agency said applicants could submit their applications and attend interviews, but no visas would be issued while the measure remained in effect.
Who can participate in the U.S. visa lottery?
The United States Diversity Visa Program offers up to 55,000 immigrant visas per year to people from countries with historically low levels of immigration to the country. Selection is made at random, but being chosen does not guarantee permanent residency, since each applicant must meet the requirements and complete the consular screening stages.
According to official information from the U.S. government, the general requirements include:
- Eligible country: having been born in a country eligible to participate, according to the program rules. The list may change every year.
- Education or work experience: the principal applicant must have completed secondary education equivalent to that in the United States or have two years of work experience, within the last five years, in an occupation that meets the criteria established by the Department of Labor.
How do you enter the visa lottery?
To enter, interested parties must complete the electronic form during the period set by the State Department. The agency warns that it does not accept applications submitted after the deadline or paper forms, and that submitting more than one entry per person may result in disqualification.
The DV-2027 call includes specific requirements that should be taken into account before submitting the application:
- Passport: the final rule published in the U.S. Federal Register establishes that participants must provide the details of a valid, current passport and attach a digital copy of its biographical and signature page, except for exceptions provided for in the rule.
- Registration fee: a federal rule published by the State Department added a US$1 payment to register an application in the program, separate from the visa application fee that selected applicants must pay. Participants should review the official DV-2027 instructions when the call is published.
- Confirmation number: After successfully submitting the form, the participant must keep the confirmation number to check the result and follow the later instructions.
The form must be completed on the official portal when the call is enabled. Before submitting the application, the user can review the specific DV-2027 instructions and verify that all requirements are met.