US court has once again suspended the launch of the Green Card lottery for 2027
In the US, it remains unknown when the registration process for the DV-2027 Green Card lottery will begin. The Court of Appeals has stayed the execution of a previous decision that compelled the Department of State to resume registration.
US Court Suspends Launch of Green Card Lottery for 2027 Again
A US Federal Court of Appeals on October 29 suspended the execution of a court ruling that obligated the Department of State to resume registration for participation in the Green Card (DV-2027) lottery, Bloomberg Law reported.
Thus, the American government is not currently required to start the registration process for participation in the program, which annually allows citizens of countries with historically low rates of immigration to receive up to 55,000 visas.
On October 14, the US District Court for the Southern District of California ordered the Department of State to announce the Green Card registration dates by October 29, begin accepting applications no later than November 1, and notify selected participants of the results by December 3, 2026.
However, the US government appealed this decision. A three-judge appellate panel granted the government's emergency motion and temporarily suspended the execution of the ruling.
The judges found that the immigration law firm Red Eagle Law LC, which filed the lawsuit against the Department of State, lacked sufficient legal standing to make such a demand. The firm had turned to the court in August 2026 after the American government failed to launch registration for participation in the DV-2027 program.
According to the Court of Appeals, the commercial interests of a law firm providing services to participants in the immigration program do not fall among the interests protected by the lottery law. At the same time, the judges stressed that they do not support the Department of State's inaction regarding the start of registration.
US President Donald Trump's administration suspended the Diversity Visa program in December 2025. This decision was made following two shooting incidents in the states of Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The suspect in the crimes turned out to be a Portuguese citizen who had previously obtained an American visa through the Diversity Visa program. His body was later found. According to law enforcement agencies, he committed suicide.