As of August 28, 2026, the U.S. Department of State has resumed diversity visa issuance, following a federal court order in Medani et al. v. Trump et al. This ends an eight-month pause on diversity visa issuance that began on December 23, 2025.

The resumption of diversity visa issuance provides DV-2026 selectees with only a narrow window to obtain their visas. All diversity visas allocated for fiscal year 2026 must be issued no later than September 30, 2026. For applicants processing their diversity visas through U.S. consulates abroad, the timeline is further constrained by the current pause on immigrant visa interviews, which may make it particularly challenging for some DV-2026 selectees to complete the required visa processing before the fiscal year deadline.

What is the Diversity Visa Program?

The Diversity Immigrant Visa (DV) Program, commonly known as the Diversity Visa Lottery, is a U.S. immigrant visa program administered annually by the Department of State. It makes up to 55,000 immigrant visas available each fiscal year to individuals from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States. Applicants must generally meet certain education or work-experience requirements, and eligibility is based primarily on the applicant’s country of birth.

Applicants submit an electronic entry during a designated registration period, and those selected are permitted to apply for an immigrant visa or adjustment of status, subject to meeting all eligibility and admissibility requirements. However, selection in the lottery does not guarantee a visa; the applicant must complete the immigration process and obtain a visa number before the fiscal year ends.

If you have any questions about diversity visa issuance, please contact the Pryor Cashman attorney you work with or a member of our Immigration Practice.

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Counsel Linda Sabatello was a contributing author to this client alert.