A federal judge in the United States has ordered the administration to proceed with the 2027 Diversity Visa program, commonly referred to as the Green Card lottery, following a significant delay in the registration process. The mandate was issued by U.S. District Judge Jinsook Ohta of the Southern District of California on October 14, granting a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit initiated by the immigration law firm Red Eagle Law.
Under the court-approved schedule, the State Department is required to formally announce the registration period by October 29. The official entry window for applicants is set to open on November 1 and will remain active for a duration of 30 days. Furthermore, the court has directed the government to notify selected applicants by December 3. This revised timeline stems from an extension requested by the involved parties and subsequently granted by the court.
The legal dispute arose after the State Department failed to open the registration process on its standard annual schedule. In November 2025, the government had indicated that it was implementing changes to the entry procedure and would announce dates as soon as it was practicable. However, the lack of a clear launch date prompted legal intervention, with plaintiffs arguing that the government’s inaction effectively threatened the viability of the 2027 cycle.
The administration had initially contended that the delay made it difficult to conduct the lottery within the statutory timeframe required by law. Despite these objections, the court ruled that the government must move forward with the program and process entries under established procedures. The ruling requires that the program continue until the allocated visas for fiscal year 2027 are exhausted or until the fiscal year concludes on September 30, 2027.
The Diversity Visa program was established under the Immigration and Nationality Act to create a pathway to permanent residency for individuals from nations with historically low levels of immigration to the United States. The program offers as many as 55,000 immigrant visas each year. Participation requires applicants to meet specific educational or work-experience criteria and undergo necessary screening and application procedures.
Officials have cautioned that being selected in the lottery does not guarantee the receipt of a visa. Selected candidates must still fulfill all regulatory requirements and successfully complete the formal immigration process to qualify for permanent residency. Prospective applicants are advised to monitor official State Department announcements for the specific registration website and comprehensive participation requirements, rather than assuming that the window has already opened.
This development follows earlier volatility regarding the Diversity Visa program. In December 2025, the administration had paused the program to review security screening protocols following a shooting at Brown University and the death of an MIT professor. While courts had previously ordered the resumption of cases in other instances, the 2027 cycle faced its own specific challenges related to the timing of the registration launch. With the new court order in place, the government is now legally bound to execute the 2027 registration cycle as specified by the federal judiciary.
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