A US court has ordered the State Department to open registration for the Diversity Visa Lottery by November 1

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A U.S. court has ordered the State Department to open registration for the Green Card Lottery by November 1

The Federal District Court for the Southern District of California has ordered the U.S. State Department to conduct the DV-2027 Green Card Lottery, for which registration has still not started. Following the revision of the timeline, the agency must open the application period no later than November 1 and announce the selection results by December 3.

On October 14, Judge Jinsook Ohta granted a joint motion by the parties to reschedule the previously established deadlines. The lawsuit against U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was filed by the law firm Red Eagle Law, which is seeking to ensure the lottery takes place. The adjustment of the deadlines was reported by the firm itself.

Originally, the court had ordered the State Department to announce the registration dates by October 15, begin accepting applications no later than October 18, and run the registration for 30 days. The selection results were to be announced by November 19.

The Donald Trump administration may contest this decision. As of October 15, there was no confirmation of an appeal being filed in the Red Eagle Law lawsuit against Marco Rubio. Registration for DV-2027 also remained closed on the program's official website.

Registration for the next draw was supposed to take place in the fall of 2025. However, on November 5, U.S. Special Envoy Kristi Noem announced a change in the participation procedure and promised to announce new dates later. Specific deadlines were never named.

In August 2026, Red Eagle Law filed a lawsuit demanding that the agency be ordered to hold the lottery. In September, the judge declined to issue emergency measures but continued considering the case.

The Diversity Visa Program annually provides for the distribution of up to 55,000 immigrant visas for citizens of countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States.