Immigration Law
If you were selected in the DV-2026 lottery — or you were planning to enter the DV-2027 lottery — you need to read this carefully.
In December 2025, the U.S. government suspended the Diversity Visa program. Not paused for a few weeks. Not delayed with a clear restart date. Suspended — indefinitely — with a hard statutory deadline still ticking in the background. For tens of thousands of people, this isn't an abstract policy shift. It's a direct threat to a green card they were already counting on.
Here's what actually happened, what it means depending on where you are right now, and what you should be doing about it.
On December 13, 2025, a mass shooting occurred at Brown University. The suspect — identified as a Portuguese national — had entered the United States through the Diversity Visa program back in 2017. Within days, the political response was swift.
On December 18, DHS Secretary publicly announced a suspension of the DV program. On December 23, the State Department made it official: all DV visa issuances were paused, effective immediately. Shortly after, USCIS directed officers to place a hold on every pending adjustment of status application filed under the DV program — including the work and travel authorization applications connected to them.
Here is the most important legal point I want you to understand: The DV program has not been cancelled. It was created by Congress under the Immigration and Nationality Act, and only Congress can permanently eliminate it. What we have right now is an executive-directed administrative pause — one with no announced end date and real consequences for real people.
It is also worth knowing that the DV-2027 registration period had already been delayed before the shooting even occurred. The lottery traditionally opens in early October. By November 2025, no registration window had launched and the State Department was only saying it would announce dates "as soon as practicable." The December suspension added a second layer of uncertainty on top of an already stalled program. And when DV-2027 registration does eventually open, applicants will pay a $1 electronic entry fee — the first fee in the program's 30-plus year history.
Approximately 129,000 people were notified of their selection in the DV-2026 lottery. Every single one of them is now in a difficult position. But the specifics — and the options available — vary significantly based on where you are physically located and what your current immigration status is.
If You Are Outside the United States
Your consular process is effectively frozen.
Scheduled interview appointments are generally not being cancelled, and you may still attend them. But the State Department has been direct: no diversity visas will be issued while the suspension is in effect. You can go through the motions of an interview and walk away with nothing.
The part that concerns me most for clients in this situation is the September 30, 2026 deadline. That date is set by statute. It cannot be extended, waived, or negotiated — not by your attorney, not by a judge, not by the State Department. If your DV-2026 visa has not been issued by September 30, 2026, your selection expires and the opportunity is gone permanently.
That deadline is now less than seven months away, and processing is frozen with no confirmed restart date. If you are in this situation, passive waiting is genuinely dangerous. The time to get legal guidance is now — not when the suspension lifts.
If You Are Inside the United States — and in Valid Legal Status
USCIS has placed an immediate hold on all pending I-485 applications filed under the DV program. If you filed for adjustment of status — meaning you applied for your green card from inside the U.S. rather than through a consulate — your case is sitting frozen on a government desk right now.
The hold also extends to your Employment Authorization Document (EAD) and Advance Parole (travel document) if those applications were tied to your I-485. In practical terms, that means some DV-2026 selectees are currently unable to obtain or renew their work authorization while the review is ongoing.
The September 30, 2026 deadline applies to you as well. The window for your green card to be approved under the DV-2026 program is the same fiscal year — and the clock is running regardless of the hold.
What I would tell any client in this situation: stay in valid status, document everything, and have an attorney monitoring your case so that the moment the hold is lifted, you can move immediately. These cases are going to require fast action when processing resumes, and being unprepared when that window opens would be a costly mistake.
If You Are Inside the United States — and Out of Status
This is the most legally precarious position of all, and I want to be direct with you about why.
If you were selected in the DV-2026 lottery but have fallen out of legal status — meaning your visa or authorized stay has expired — your situation requires extremely careful legal analysis before you take any action at all.
Filing an I-485 while out of status can expose you to scrutiny and, in some circumstances, to removal proceedings. The DV suspension has not created any new protections for people in unlawful status, and the current administration's enforcement priorities make this environment particularly unforgiving for anyone who acts without a clear legal strategy.
I am not saying there are no options. What I am saying is that this is not a situation where you should rely on general information you find online, or wait to see what happens. If you are a DV-2026 selectee who is out of status in the United States, please speak with an immigration attorney before doing anything. The right move — and the wrong move — look very similar from the outside, and the consequences of getting it wrong are severe.
As of March 2026, the DV-2027 registration period has not opened. No start date has been announced. The State Department has said it will provide information "as soon as practicable" — which is not a timeline, it is a placeholder.
The visa application window for DV-2027 winners, once selected, is technically still on the books: October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. But to have winners, there first needs to be a registration period, a selection process, and a notification period — none of which have happened yet.
When registration does open, there will be a new $1 electronic entry fee — the first in the program's history. This is a minor cost, but it does mean the process will work slightly differently than it has in previous years.
One thing I want to flag clearly: the delay and confusion around DV-2027 has created an opening for scammers. Fraudulent websites mimicking the official portal, emails claiming "early registration is available," and individuals offering to submit entries for a fee are all circulating right now. The only legitimate place to enter the DV lottery is dvprogram.state.gov. The government will never email you asking for payment or personal information out of the blue.
The honest bottom line on DV-2027: the program is not cancelled, but it is deeply uncertain. If your immigration plan depends entirely on winning the lottery, I would strongly encourage you to explore parallel pathways — because relying on a program whose future is this unclear is a significant risk to take.
The right steps depend on your situation:
If you are a DV-2026 selectee outside the U.S.: Keep your interview appointment if you have one. Gather all your documents and keep them current. Consult an immigration attorney to understand your backup options and to be ready to move the moment processing resumes.
If you are a DV-2026 selectee inside the U.S. in valid status: Do not let your current visa or authorized stay expire. Keep copies of all your USCIS notices. Have an attorney tracking your I-485 case so you are positioned to respond immediately when the hold is lifted.
If you are a DV-2026 selectee inside the U.S. out of status: Do not file anything without legal advice. Contact an immigration attorney as soon as possible to assess your specific situation and options.
If you were planning to enter DV-2027: Monitor travel.state.gov for the official registration announcement. Do not pay anyone to submit your entry. And if immigration to the U.S. is a serious goal, begin exploring other pathways now in parallel — family-based options, employment-based categories, or other routes that do not depend on a lottery.
If you are in any of these situations and want to understand exactly where you stand, I'm here to help. At SG Legal Group, I work directly with clients navigating family-based immigration, consular processing, and adjustment of status — including DV-based cases. Reach out to schedule a consultation and we can talk through your specific circumstances.
The Diversity Visa program has always demanded precision. Deadlines are absolute, paperwork must be exact, and the window for action is narrow. The suspension has made all of that more urgent — not less.
If you were counting on this program, don't wait for clarity that may not come in time. Get informed, get legal advice, and understand your options before September 30, 2026 makes the decision for you.
I work with clients across the full spectrum of family-based immigration pathways. If the DV route is closed to you — temporarily or permanently — there may be other roads worth exploring. You can also read more about green card options that don't involve marriage on this blog.
Contact SG Legal Group to discuss your case.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Immigration laws and policies are subject to change, and individual circumstances vary. For advice specific to your situation, please consult with a qualified immigration attorney.
Oleg Gherasimov, Esq.
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