DV-2027 Diversity Visa Lottery Registration Set to Open Nov. 1 Under Revised Court Order
A federal judge has revised the timeline for the fiscal year 2027 Diversity Visa lottery, ordering the U.S. Department of State to open registration by midnight Eastern time on Nov. 1 and notify selected applicants by Dec. 3.
Under an amended order issued by U.S. District Judge Jinsook Ohta of the Southern District of California, the department must publicly announce the registration period by midnight Eastern time on Oct. 29. The registration period must remain open for 30 days.
The revised schedule follows a lawsuit filed by Red Eagle Law, L.C., a Southern California immigration law firm, against Secretary of State Marco Rubio in his official capacity. The case, Red Eagle Law, L.C. v. Rubio, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California under case number 3:26-cv-04738.
The firm asked the court to compel the Trump administration to resume the DV-2027 program, arguing that the State Department’s failure to open registration threatened to prevent the lottery from taking place. The lawsuit challenges the administration’s suspension of a congressionally established program that makes up to 55,000 immigrant visas available annually to eligible applicants from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States.
The lawsuit followed a Nov. 5, 2025, State Department notice stating that the agency was revising the DV-2027 entry process and would announce registration dates “as soon as practicable.” At the time, the department said the visa application period for selected applicants would run from Oct. 1, 2026, through Sept. 30, 2027.
The DV-2027 process also includes new requirements. A rule that took effect April 10, 2026, requires applicants to provide valid passport information, including a scan of the passport’s biographical page. A $1 entry fee was also introduced under a State Department fee schedule published in September 2025.
Red Eagle Law initially sought a temporary restraining order, but Judge Ohta denied the request without prejudice on Sept. 3, allowing the case to proceed through additional briefing. The firm filed an emergency motion for a preliminary injunction on Sept. 7, which the government opposed on Sept. 14. After a hearing on Sept. 24 and additional written submissions, Ohta granted the preliminary injunction on Oct. 14.
The court subsequently approved a joint motion by the parties to modify the injunction, extending the deadlines established in the original order. The initial order required the State Department to announce registration by Oct. 15, open the registration period by Oct. 18 and notify selected applicants by Nov. 19. The amended order moved those deadlines to Oct. 29, Nov. 1 and Dec. 3, respectively.
The State Department’s announcement must specify the opening and closing dates, identify the website for submitting electronic entries, and explain the program’s eligibility and participation requirements. The department must also disseminate the information through its customary public notification channels, including the Federal Register.
The amended order requires the department to notify applicants selected to pursue a Diversity Visa for fiscal year 2027 by midnight Eastern time on Dec. 3. It also directs the department to process and issue visas to eligible applicants under its usual procedures and standards, subject to applicable law, until the fiscal year’s visa allocation is exhausted or Sept. 30, 2027, whichever comes first.
The Diversity Visa program allows eligible applicants from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States to apply for immigrant visas. Selection does not guarantee a visa; applicants must meet the eligibility requirements and complete the required application process.