US green card lottery entry window reopens by 1 November 2026 after pause

A federal district court in California has ordered the US State Department to open registration for the fiscal year 2027 Diversity Visa (DV) lottery by midnight ET on 1 November 2026. The preliminary injunction follows the agency's decision to pause the programme in December 2025, which prompted several groups to sue for its resumption.

Key facts

• Registration for the FY 2027 DV lottery must open by midnight ET on 1 November 2026 and run for 30 days.
• The State Department must publish full registration details by midnight ET on 29 October 2026.
• Selected entrants must be notified of their selection by midnight ET on 3 December 2026.
• Submitted DV immigrant visa applications must be processed until the annual allocation is exhausted or 20 September 2027, whichever comes first.
• The orders were issued on 14 October 2026 in the case Red Eagle Law, L.C. v. Rubio, Docket No. 3:26-cv-04738 (S.D. Cal.).

What is changing?

The preliminary injunction requires the State Department to open the FY 2027 DV registration window by midnight ET on 1 November 2026, for a period of 30 days. The agency must also publish an advance announcement on the State Department website setting out the opening and closing dates of the registration period, the website through which entries should be submitted, and the requirements for taking part.

After registration closes, the court order requires the State Department to notify selected foreign nationals of their selection by midnight ET on 3 December 2026. The injunction further requires the agency to process FY 2027 DV immigrant visa applications submitted under its usual procedures, continuing until the annual DV allocation is used up or until 20 September 2027, whichever happens first.

Why was the lottery paused?

The State Department announced in November 2025 that changes were being made to the FY 2027 DV entry period, then paused the programme entirely in December 2025. At the same time, the agency was pausing immigrant visa processing under the FY 2026 DV programme. Several groups filed suit to reinstate the DV programmes that were running or planned at the time of the pauses, and litigants challenging the actions affecting the FY 2026 programme had some limited success.

What should prospective entrants expect?

The State Department's announcement is expected to include the registration dates, the entry website and the participation requirements. The instructions are likely to include a $1 fee and a valid passport, described as new eligibility requirements added to the DV programme over the past year.

What this means for travellers

Anyone considering entering the FY 2027 Diversity Visa lottery should watch for the State Department announcement due by midnight ET on 29 October 2026, and check the stated requirements — including any fee and passport rules — before submitting an entry within the 30-day window. Note that the court's first injunction set earlier deadlines, and a later order extended them to give the agency more time to comply.

The State Department may appeal the district court decision, and a stay or reversal of the injunction could come with little or no notice. No further dates beyond those in the court order have been announced.