Green Card Lottery suspended for the time being

The Diversity Visa Program is a statutory immigration program of the United States. It is intended to give people from countries with historically low immigration rates the opportunity to immigrate to the USA legally. Every year, up to 55,000 permanent residence permits are issued at random. In addition, applicants must meet certain formal requirements, such as educational or professional qualifications.

Registration for the lottery normally takes place once a year, usually in the fall between October and November. The winners are usually announced in the spring of the following year and the visas are then issued in the following financial year.

For several months now, there have been administrative delays, including in the processing of applications and the allocation of appointments. Applicants for this year's DV-2027 Green Card Lottery have therefore been waiting for some time for the official start, which has now been further postponed due to the temporary suspension. In addition, no immigrant visas will be issued for green card winners of the current DV-2026 until further notice.

The current pause in the Green Card Lottery is not unprecedented. In the past, there have already been several temporary interruptions or significant restrictions to the Diversity Visa Program. This was particularly evident during President Donald Trump's first term in office and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2017, new entry restrictions and travel bans meant that visas could not be issued to nationals of certain countries at times. Winners of the Green Card Lottery were also affected, even though they had been formally selected. Although the lottery itself was carried out, the practical implementation - in particular the issuing of visas - was partially blocked.

A further de facto suspension took place from 2020. In the course of the pandemic and through presidential proclamations, the entry of many immigration groups, including diversity visa winners, was temporarily prohibited. During this time, many people who had already been selected were unable to obtain their visas, resulting in significant litigation and backlogs. Again, the program remained legally in place, but was severely limited in its implementation.

According to government sources, this is explicitly not an abolition of the Diversity Visa Program. The lottery has been suspended for the time being on the instructions of the government in order to analyze internal processes and initiate possible improvements. Among other things, adjustments to the selection process, security checks and cooperation between the authorities involved are being discussed.

In public statements, several government agencies emphasize that this is a precautionary measure intended to increase security and strengthen confidence in the procedure.

The announced pause means that the issuance of diversity visas is currently suspended. Regardless of whether applicants have already been selected as winners or their application is at an advanced stage, no diversity visas (immigrant visas) are currently being issued.

Participation in the ongoing procedure is still possible. Applications can be submitted and interviews that have already been scheduled at US embassies or consulates can still take place. However, these steps will not lead to the issuance of a visa during the suspension.

The measure applies to all diversity visa cases without exception. There are no special regulations or prioritization for certain groups of applicants or for procedures that are already well advanced.

Diversity visas that were issued before the suspension came into force are not affected by the pause. These remain valid.

There is currently no information on how long the suspension will last. According to the U.S. State Department, the pause is to review internal procedures related to security and vetting processes. A specific date for the resumption of visa issuance has not yet been given. In practical terms, this means that applicants can continue to prepare their documents and complete procedural steps, but cannot expect a diversity visa to actually be issued until further notice.

Formally, the program is administered by the U.S. Department of State, while the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) are responsible for security and admissions screening.&amp

As far as we know at present, winners of the last lottery round remain eligible as long as the program is resumed. However, it is unclear how deadlines will be dealt with if the break is extended further.

Important: The Diversity Visa Program is still legally valid. A permanent abolition would require an amendment to the law by the US Congress, which has not yet been passed. This means that the program remains formally in place, even if its implementation is currently suspended.