DV Program “Paused”; Lottery Likely Unaffected!
For their part, the U.S. Department of State – the Department in charge of administering the Diversity Visa Program – has now issued a guidance on the matter
DV Program News
The U.S. government has announced a pause to the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV Program). The action was directed by President Donald Trump and communicated by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, signaling how the DV Program is expected to be administered in the short term.
This decision follows a recent mass shooting incident believed to have been carried out by an individual who had entered the United States years earlier and later obtained permanent residence by way of the Diversity Visa program.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Notice
In view of the above, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services – part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – has issued internal directives placing a hold on pending adjustment of status applications and related filings for DV Program beneficiaries. These holds cover:
- Adjustment of status (Form I-485) filings
- Ancillary benefits such as work authorization (Form I-765) and travel documents (Form I-131)
- Waivers and other associated applications
- Decisions on pending cases, which are paused pending review and potential re-screening procedures.
USCIS has also indicated that applicants may be required to attend additional interviews or re-interviews as part of enhanced vetting.
State Department Issues Guidance
For their part, the U.S. Department of State – the Department in charge of administering the Diversity Visa Program – has now issued a guidance on the matter, confirming a temporary pause in visa issuance to Diversity Visa applicants.
According to the guidance:
- All visa issuances to Diversity Immigrant Visa applicants are paused, effective immediately.
- Applicants may still submit visa applications and attend interviews, and consular posts may continue to schedule appointments; however, no Diversity Visas will be issued while the pause remains in effect.
- Previously issued Diversity Visas remain valid and have not been revoked under the new guidance.
- There are no exceptions to the temporary pause in issuance.
- The pause is intended to allow the Department to review screening and vetting protocols to ensure national security and public safety objectives are fully met.
IMPORTANT: The guidance does not provide a timeline for when the pause may be lifted.
Will the Upcoming DV-2027 Lottery Be Affected?
Importantly, the recent guidance does not address the status of the upcoming DV-2027 lottery:
- There is no indication in the State Department guidance that the upcoming DV-2027 entry period, registration window, or lottery selection process will be canceled or suspended.
- The published guidance is focused on issuance and adjudication of visas already in the pipeline, not on future programs.
- As such, the DV-2027 lottery is expected to proceed unless and until further official announcements specify otherwise.
This interpretation is consistent with the fact that the guidance refrains from mentioning issues relating to the DV Lottery, including entry period openings or future lotteries; but instead focuses on procedural pauses tied to security reviews.
What Applicants Should Know
Because no visas are being issued during the pause, applicants – whether abroad or already inside the United States – should expect delays in visa processing and consequently issuances, while looking out for further State Department’s updates concerning the matter.
