Court tells US to process Green Card applications for up to 55,000 people by these dates

A federal court has ordered the US government to allow up to 55,000 people from across countries to apply for Green Card. District Judge Jinsook Ohta directed the Department of State to reopen the diversity visa lottery for 2027, popularly known as the Green Card lottery.

The e Trump administration opposes the program and did not open the registration period on time for this year. It subsequently argued that it was too late to do so. In the latest order, Ohta directed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to reopen the registration period for the lottery. The verdict comes after Red Eagle Law filed a lawsuit against Rubio in August this year.

What the court said

In the order, judge Jinsook Ohta said “The announcement shall identify the opening and closing dates of the registration period, the website through which individuals may submit electronic entries, and the requirements for participating in the program”.“Defendant shall further disseminate this information through the State Department’s other customary public notification channels, including the Federal Register,” he further wrote.Ohta ruled that the registration period should last 30 days. The ruling also requires the State Department to accept electronic entries submitted during the registration period, given that applicants meet eligibility and documentation requirements.

Additionally, it requires the State Department to notify individuals who are selected for the diversity visa lottery and process their applications under its usual procedures.

authority changes rules of applications

Earlier this year, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a new policy under which foreigners applying for permanent residency in the US will now have to go back to their home countries to seek Green Cards. “From now on, an alien who is in the US temporarily and wants a green card must return to their home country to apply, except in extraordinary circumstances,” Zach Kahler, a spokesman for US Citizenship and Immigration Services, said in a statement.USCIS announced the move in a policy memo, which then directed officers to consider relevant factors and information on a case-by-case basis when determining whether extraordinary relief is warranted. "An alien who is in the U.S. temporarily and wants a Green Card must return to their home country to apply," said the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which has oversight of USCIS. The immigration authority then said the new policy will free up agency resources to focus on processing other cases.