DV-2027 Green Card Lottery: Registration Set for November as Court Orders US Government to Act

A US federal court has ordered the State Department to proceed with the delayed DV-2027 Diversity Visa Lottery, setting new deadlines for registration and results while leaving the final visa issuance deadline of 30 September 2027 unchanged.

Under the revised schedule, the department must announce registration details by 29 October 2026, open the application period by 1 November and notify successful entrants by 3 December. The delayed start leaves applicants and immigration officials with less time to complete the process before the statutory deadline.

The ruling follows legal action over the government's failure to open registration for the DV-2027 lottery. In late 2025, the State Department said it was considering changes to the programme and would announce registration dates later. However, the application period never opened, leaving the lottery delayed even as the associated fiscal year began.

The latest changes followed a joint request by government lawyers and Red Eagle Law to amend an earlier injunction issued by US District Judge Jinsook Ohta. The court approved the revised timetable, replacing earlier deadlines set for October and November 2026 with new dates intended to give the authorities more time to implement the order.

The court has directed the State Department to publish the registration dates and participation requirements through official channels, including the Federal Register and the government's designated Diversity Visa website. It has also ordered the department to continue processing eligible cases under normal procedures until the annual visa allocation is exhausted or the September 2027 deadline is reached.

For prospective immigrants, the shortened timetable could make the period between selection and visa issuance particularly challenging. In a typical year, registration takes place in the autumn, followed by the announcement of results and several months for successful entrants to prepare their applications and attend consular interviews.

DV-2027 applicants will still need to complete the required procedures, including submitting the DS-260 immigrant visa application, gathering supporting documents, undergoing medical examinations and attending consular interviews. These steps can take considerable time, particularly in countries where demand for visa appointments is high or obtaining official documents is difficult.

Selection in the Diversity Visa Lottery does not guarantee a visa. Applicants must meet the programme's eligibility requirements, and visas are issued within strict annual limits. The delayed start of DV-2027 means successful entrants will have less time to complete the necessary steps, while consular officials must process applications before the deadline expires.

The revised schedule also presents challenges for the State Department. Although the court has directed officials to follow standard procedures, the reduced processing period leaves less room to address interview backlogs, administrative delays and other obstacles. Such difficulties could prevent some selected applicants from securing visas before the end of the fiscal year.

Established by the US Congress, the Diversity Immigrant Visa programme makes up to 55,000 immigrant visas available annually to eligible individuals from countries with historically low levels of immigration to the United States. It provides a route to permanent residency for people who may not qualify through family sponsorship or employment-based immigration.