Last updated: November 1, 2026
Is the Green Card Lottery open right now?
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Timeline of what happened
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| Sept–Oct 2025 | The State Department introduced a $1 electronic registration fee for the program. |
| Nov 5, 2025 | The State Department announced changes to the entry process and said the DV-2027 registration dates would follow “as soon as practicable.” They never did. The visa application period for DV-2027 selectees was kept as Oct 1, 2026 to Sept 30, 2027. |
| Dec 2025 | The State Department paused issuing diversity visas at embassies and consulates, according to legal reports. |
| Aug 2026 | An immigration law firm, Red Eagle Law, sued the Secretary of State in federal court over the failure to open DV-2027 registration. |
| Oct 2026 | The federal district court in the Southern District of California issued a preliminary injunction. It ordered the State Department to announce registration and open it by November 1, 2026 for a 30-day period. |
| Oct 29, 2026 | The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals granted the government's emergency request and stayed (paused) the district court's order while the appeal is decided. |
What the Ninth Circuit decided
The appeals court did not decide that the program is cancelled, and it did not decide that the government was right to leave registration closed. Its stay was based on a narrower question: whether the law firm that sued is the right party to bring the case. The three-judge panel said the firm's financial interest in representing future lottery applicants was not closely enough connected to the purpose of the Diversity Visa law, and found the government was likely to prevail on that point. The judges also said expressly that they were not endorsing the Department's failure to open registration.
The ruling is a pause pending appeal. It is not the final decision in the case.
What this means in practice
- The November 1 deadline no longer applies while the stay is in place.
- There is no open registration and no official date. Any site, agent or social media post saying DV-2027 entry is open right now is wrong.
- The appeal continues. The courts may later rule on whether the State Department had to open registration, and the outcome is not known.
- Selection from an earlier program year does not carry over to a later year.
What you should do now
- Use only the official State Department website (travel.state.gov) for any future registration. It is the only authorized place.
- Do not pay anyone who says they can enter you early, guarantee selection or improve your chances. U.S. embassies have warned about these claims.
- Do not rely on the lottery as your plan. Depending on your profile, other routes may be better or faster.
- Leave your email below if you want to hear about real changes first.
Routes that do not depend on a lottery
Depending on your situation, you may have other options, for example through professional skills, a business, or family:
Sources
- Newsweek: Judge freezes reopening of Diversity Visa lottery
- Shepelsky Law: Appeals court blocks reopening of the 2027 program
- Visa Lawyer Blog: Federal judge orders reopening by November 1
- BAL: State Department announces changes to DV-2027 entry
- Reyes Blum: DV-2027 timeline
Frequently asked questions
Is the Green Card Lottery (DV-2027) open right now?
No. As of November 1, 2026, DV-2027 registration has not opened and no official opening date has been announced.
What did the court order?
A federal district court in California ordered the State Department to announce DV-2027 registration and open it by November 1, 2026 for a 30-day period.
Why isn't the lottery opening on November 1?
On October 29, 2026 the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals paused the district court's order while the government's appeal continues, so the deadline is not in effect.
Has the Diversity Visa program been cancelled?
No. The Ninth Circuit's order is a pause pending appeal. It did not abolish the program and it is not a final ruling on the case.
Did the appeals court say the government was right to keep registration closed?
No. The court said expressly that it was not endorsing the failure to open registration. Its stay rested on whether the law firm that sued is a proper party.
Will DV-2027 registration open later?
It is not known. It depends on the outcome of the appeal and on decisions by the State Department. We will update this page when something changes.
Where do I find official information?
On the State Department's website, travel.state.gov. It is the only official source for any future registration.
Should I pay someone to enter me early?
No. Registration is closed, and no agent or website can enter you or improve your chances before it opens. Treat such offers as a warning sign.
I received a message saying I won the DV-2027 lottery. Is it real?
No registration has opened, so there has been no DV-2027 selection. Messages saying you won are scams. The only official place to check results is the State Department website.
Is it true a president cancelled the lottery?
The program was created by Congress, and the courts have not ruled that it can be permanently cancelled. The current situation is that registration has not been opened and the appeal is ongoing.
My selection was for DV-2026. Does it carry over to a new year?
No. DV-2026 ended on September 30, 2026, and selections do not carry over to a later program year.
Can an agent or lawyer enter me before it opens?
No. Registration is closed. Nobody can enter you, speed up the process or improve your chances now.
Where will the official announcement appear?
On the State Department's website, travel.state.gov. If you sign up above, we will also email you when something real changes.
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