The American dream through the green card lottery just hit a wall. On December 18, 2025, the Trump administration suspended the Diversity Visa program indefinitely, leaving approximately 125,000 people who won the DV-2026 lottery in limbo and delaying registration for DV-2027 without a restart date.
If you’re one of the tens of thousands affected, here’s what happened, why it matters, and what you can do next.
What Actually Happened
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced an indefinite pause on diversity visa issuances, while Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem ordered U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to immediately halt all processing related to the program.
The State Department’s guidance states that while DV applicants may still submit applications and attend interviews, no diversity visas will be issued. This creates a bizarre situation where people go through the motions of an application process that cannot currently result in approval.
The suspension affects three distinct groups differently: DV-2025 selectees in their final months, DV-2026 winners who were preparing to apply, and millions who were planning to enter the DV-2027 lottery.
The Trigger: Brown University Shooting
The program suspension directly followed a mass shooting at Brown University on December 13, 2025, where a professor at MIT was also killed. The suspect, Claudio Neves Valente, was identified as a green card holder who immigrated through the diversity visa program.
According to law enforcement records, Neves Valente initially entered the United States on a student visa in 2000 and obtained permanent residency through the diversity visa lottery in 2017—meaning there was a 17-year gap between his first entry and obtaining his green card. Authorities have not disclosed details about his activities during those intervening years.
Neves Valente died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound following the attacks. Secretary Noem stated, “This heinous individual should never have been allowed in our country.”
What the Diversity Visa Program Actually Is
The Diversity Visa program, created by Congress through the Immigration Act of 1990, awards up to 50,000 green cards annually to applicants from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States. It’s commonly called the “green card lottery” because winners are selected randomly from millions of entries.
According to federal data, most participants in fiscal year 2026 were from Africa, followed by nationals from Asia and Europe. Applicants must meet basic requirements: high school education or two years of work experience in a qualifying occupation.
Crucially, winning the lottery is just the first step. While individuals are selected randomly, they still must meet security and eligibility requirements that all immigrants must clear to obtain their visas. The selection gives you an opportunity to apply, not automatic approval.
Who’s Affected and How
DV-2025 Selectees (Late-Stage Applicants) If you won the DV-2025 lottery and are approaching your September 30, 2026 deadline, you’re in the most precarious position. Because DV eligibility is time-limited, even short suspensions can permanently eliminate thousands of cases. The fiscal year deadline is absolute—if your case isn’t approved before it ends, you lose your chance permanently, even if courts later rule the suspension illegal.
DV-2026 Winners (Waiting to Apply) Those already selected for the 2025 and anticipated 2026 DV lotteries, who were preparing documentation or interviews, may experience delays or suspension of processing depending on how the pause is enforced.
USCIS has placed a hold on all pending adjustment of status applications filed by Diversity Visa selectees, including related applications for work authorization and travel documents. Some applicants may be required to appear for additional interviews or re-interviews.
DV-2027 Hopefuls (Registration Delayed) The registration period for DV-2027, which typically opens in early October, was already delayed before the suspension announcement. The State Department has not announced official registration dates for the 2027 Diversity Lottery, meaning no new registrants may enter the diversity lottery.
The Legal and Political Context
The Diversity Visa Program was created by Congress under the Immigration Act of 1990 to encourage immigration from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States. This congressional origin is significant because it raises questions about whether the executive branch can indefinitely suspend a program that Congress specifically authorized.
President Trump targeted the diversity visa program during his first term after an Uzbek national who was a recipient of the program was suspected of killing eight people in a terrorist attack in New York City. The program has remained a political flashpoint in immigration debates.
Immigration advocates are already criticizing the suspension, arguing it could block tens of thousands of applicants from majority Black and brown countries. Legal challenges are expected, given that the program exists by congressional mandate rather than executive discretion.
The program has faced suspensions and restrictions in the past, especially after major security or crime-related events, and was later restarted. However, no timeline exists for this current suspension to end.
What You Should Do Right Now
If You’re a DV-2025 Selectee Time is your enemy. Your opportunity expires on September 30, 2026, regardless of any processing delays or suspensions. Monitor official State Department and USCIS channels daily for policy changes. Consider consulting an immigration attorney about whether any emergency legal remedies might apply to your situation.
Existing diversity visa appointments generally will not be rescheduled or cancelled, so attend your interview if scheduled, even though no visas are currently being issued. Having your case interview-ready positions you to benefit immediately if the pause lifts.
If You’re a DV-2026 Winner Individuals residing outside the United States who won the Diversity Visa lottery in previous years may still submit applications and attend State Department interviews, and the State Department clarified it will continue to schedule appointments. However, understand that going through this process now will not result in visa issuance until the suspension ends.
Keep all your documents current—passports, birth certificates, police clearances, medical examinations. If the suspension lifts, you’ll want to move quickly, and expired documents cause delays.
If You Were Planning to Apply for DV-2027 There’s nothing you can do except wait. Entries are not being accepted at this time. The registration period that typically opens in early October has been indefinitely postponed.
Monitor the official Electronic Diversity Visa website at dvprogram.state.gov for announcements. Be wary of scams—no one can register you for a lottery that isn’t accepting entries.
Understanding the Government’s Justification
The Department stated this pause allows them to undertake a review of screening and vetting protocols in the DV program to address any vulnerabilities and ensure adequate identity establishment and threat assessment.
Officials indicated they will conduct comprehensive reviews of all screening, vetting, and adjudication procedures for DV-based adjustment cases, requiring interviews or re-interviews as needed to reassess national security, criminal, identity and admissibility concerns.
The question many advocates are asking is whether one criminal incident—committed by someone who entered the country 25 years ago on a different visa type and only later obtained permanent residence through the DV program—justifies suspending an entire congressionally mandated immigration pathway that awards 50,000 green cards annually.
What Comes Next: Three Possible Scenarios
Scenario 1: Short-Term Pause (Weeks to Months) The administration completes its vetting review, potentially makes procedural changes to screening protocols, and resumes processing. This would allow most DV-2025 and DV-2026 selectees to eventually complete their applications, though some DV-2025 cases might miss the September deadline.
Scenario 2: Extended Suspension (Months to Year+) The pause continues through legal challenges or extended policy review. DV-2025 selectees lose their opportunity when the fiscal year ends. DV-2026 winners face growing uncertainty. The DV-2027 lottery may not open at all, or might open with significantly revised requirements.
Scenario 3: Program Termination The administration seeks congressional action to eliminate or fundamentally restructure the program. This would require legislation, as the executive branch cannot permanently end a congressionally created program through administrative action alone.
Given the program’s controversial political history and this administration’s immigration priorities, the second scenario appears most likely in the near term, with the possibility of the third scenario developing over 2026.
The Bigger Picture: Merit-Based Immigration Debate
Even before the pause, the Diversity Visa program was often overshadowed by more predictable immigration pathways like employment-based visas, family-based petitions, or investor and special immigrant visas.
The DV lottery’s random selection process has long been criticized by those favoring “merit-based” immigration systems that prioritize applicants with specific skills, education levels, or financial resources. The current suspension feeds into this broader policy debate about how America should choose its immigrants.
For the 50,000 people who would have received green cards this year through the program, and the millions more who apply annually, the philosophical debate matters less than the practical reality: a pathway they were counting on has suddenly closed.
Staying Informed and Taking Action
Official Sources to Monitor Check these government websites regularly for updates:
- U.S. Department of State Travel.State.Gov visa news section
- USCIS official website
- Electronic Diversity Visa Program site at dvprogram.state.gov
What to Watch For
- Updates on processing holds
- Announcements about DV-2027 registration
- Policy statements from State Department or DHS
- Court challenges from immigration advocacy groups
Protect Yourself from Scams Fraudulent immigration services often prey on uncertainty. Remember:
- The DV program is free to enter (processing fees only apply after selection)
- No one can “guarantee” you a diversity visa
- Legitimate updates come only from official .gov websites
- Be especially wary of services claiming they can “bypass” the suspension
Alternative Immigration Pathways
If you’re affected by the suspension and need to explore other options, consider:
Family-Based Immigration: If you have close relatives who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, family sponsorship remains available.
Employment-Based Visas: H-1B, L-1, and EB categories for skilled workers continue processing. These require employer sponsorship.
Investor Visas: E-2 and EB-5 programs for those with significant capital to invest.
Humanitarian Programs: Asylum, refugee status, or special immigrant visas for those fleeing persecution or who worked with U.S. government operations abroad.
Each pathway has distinct requirements, timelines, and costs. Consult with a licensed immigration attorney to evaluate which options might work for your specific situation.
Final Thoughts
The diversity visa suspension represents more than an administrative policy change—it’s a reminder of how quickly immigration opportunities can vanish, even when they’re backed by congressional legislation and decades of precedent.
For the approximately 125,000 people selected in DV-2026 who were planning their futures around this opportunity, the suspension creates profound uncertainty. For the millions more who were planning to apply for DV-2027, an annual chance at the American dream has been indefinitely postponed.
Whether this suspension lasts weeks, months, or leads to permanent program elimination depends on factors largely outside affected applicants’ control: political will, legal challenges, and public response to the administration’s immigration priorities.
What you can control is staying informed, keeping your documentation current, and being ready to act quickly if the situation changes. Monitor official sources, avoid scams promising workarounds that don’t exist, and consider consulting qualified immigration counsel about your specific circumstances and alternative options.
The diversity visa program has survived controversies before. Whether it survives this one remains to be seen.
