A US federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to reopen registration for the 2027 Diversity Visa lottery, restoring a route to permanent residency for eligible applicants after the State Department failed to launch the annual entry process on schedule.
However, the department did not subsequently open registration, leaving prospective applicants without an opportunity to enter the lottery. The State Department announced in November 2025 that it was making changes to the DV-2027 entry process and would announce registration dates later.
The government had argued that it was too late to conduct the lottery within the statutory timeline. The delay prompted legal action seeking to compel the government to resume the process. The judge’s latest order requires the department to provide registration details, including the opening and closing dates, entry website and participation requirements. A separate issue is the State Department’s pause on diversity visa issuance.
US District Judge Jinsook Ohta of the Southern District of California issued a preliminary injunction on October 14, directing Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the department to announce the registration period and open a 30-day electronic entry window. The ruling follows a lawsuit by California-based immigration law firm Red Eagle Law, which challenged the department’s failure to open registration for the fiscal year 2027 program. In guidance updated on August 31, 2026, the department said it had paused all diversity visa issuances while reviewing screening and vetting procedures.
The order also requires the government to notify selected applicants and process their cases under the program’s rules, according to Courthouse News Service. Applicants may submit applications and attend interviews, but the department said visas would not be issued under that guidance.
