US Green Card lottery 2027: Judge orders Trump administration to reopen Diversity Visa registration from November 1

A US federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to reopen registration for the 2027 Diversity Visa lottery, also known as the Green Card lottery, with the entry window set to open by November 1, 2026.

The ruling restores a route to US permanent residency for eligible applicants after the government failed to start registration on time, according to Courthouse News Service report.

Also Read: US judge blocks Trump policy of fining migrants up to $1.8 million


US District Judge Jinsook Ohta issued the order on October 14, directing Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the US State Department to announce the registration dates and open the entry process for 30 days.

The State Department must also accept eligible entries, notify selected applicants and process their cases under the programme's rules, the report said. A subsequent extension moved the registration deadline to November 1 and the deadline to notify selected applicants to December 3.

Also Read: US raises select immigration fees for FY 2027, new charges from October 16

Earlier in November 2025, the State Department had announced that it was making changes to the entry process for the 2027 lottery and would announce the registration dates later. The registration delay prompted California-based immigration law firm Red Eagle Law to file a lawsuit against the State Department. The firm argued that the government's failure to open registration had effectively cancelled the annual programme.

The Diversity Visa programme offers up to 55,000 immigrant visas each year to eligible applicants from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the US.

Applicants selected through the lottery must also meet eligibility requirements and complete the visa process as the selection in itself does not guarantee a Green Card.

The 2027 programme's visa year ends on September 30, 2027. This means that applicants have limited time period to complete the required steps.