Court orders the State Department to reopen the 2027 Diversity Visa lottery; the government appeals

A federal judge in the Southern District of California ordered the State Department to reopen the Diversity Visa program (the “green card lottery”) for fiscal year 2027. In a preliminary injunction granted on October 14 in a lawsuit brought against the department by the law firm Red Eagle Law, L.C., Judge Jinsook Ohta ordered the department to hold a registration period. Newsweek reports that, under amended deadlines approved by the court, the department must announce the registration period by October 29, open registration on November 1 for 30 days, and notify selected entrants by December. The judge found the plaintiff likely to succeed because the department had not adequately explained why a delay in opening registration became an indefinite suspension, which she called arbitrary and capricious. The department announced in November 2025 that it was changing the DV-2027 entry process, and registration had not opened when the fiscal year began on October 1. The government filed a notice of appeal on October 19 and separately asked the district court to pause the injunction while the appeal is decided. As of Newsweek’s October 22 update, no ruling on that request had been reported. The State Department declined to comment, citing the pending litigation.

What this may mean: Registration has not opened yet, and the schedule could change if a court pauses the order. Being selected in the lottery does not guarantee a visa, and the timeline for selected entrants is short. Be wary of anyone who charges a fee or promises to guarantee selection, and check the State Department’s official Diversity Visa page for current dates before you act. If you have questions about eligibility, speak with an attorney.

Sources: Newsweek (Oct. 14–15) · Newsweek (Oct. 22 update) · State Department: Diversity Visa Program

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