A federal court in California has ordered the US State Department to hold the DV-2027 green card lottery, whose registration was scheduled for autumn 2025. Under the revised deadlines, applications must open no later than November 1, 2026.
The ruling was issued on October 14 by Judge Jinsook Ohta of the US District Court for the Southern District of California. She granted a motion filed by Red Eagle Law, which had sued US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
According to Forbes Kazakhstan, the court initially ordered the State Department to announce registration dates by October 15, open applications by October 18, and accept entries for 30 days. The results were to be published by November 19.
However, both parties subsequently requested a two-week extension, which the court approved.
Under the revised schedule, the State Department must announce registration dates by October 29, open applications no later than November 1, and notify selected participants by December 3, Red Eagle Law reported.
The ruling does not guarantee that the lottery will resume as scheduled. President Donald Trump’s administration may appeal the decision, although filing an appeal does not automatically suspend the ruling.
As of October 16, registration for DV-2027 had not opened on the programme’s official website.
Why was the lottery delayed?
Registration for DV-2027 was expected to take place in autumn 2025, but the State Department did not announce an opening date.
In November 2025, US authorities announced changes to the programme’s application procedures and said they would provide registration dates later.
In August 2026, Red Eagle Law filed a lawsuit seeking to compel the State Department to hold the lottery. In September, the court rejected the firm’s request for emergency relief, but the case continued.
How many Tajik citizens were selected in the previous lottery?
The US Diversity Visa programme makes up to 55,000 immigrant visas available annually to eligible applicants from countries with historically low levels of immigration to the United States.
According to US State Department data, 3,708 potential applicants from Tajikistan were selected for DV-2026, including family members of principal applicants.
The corresponding figures for other Central Asian countries were:
- Uzbekistan — 3,754;
- Kyrgyzstan — 3,324;
- Kazakhstan — 2,723;
- Turkmenistan — 2,542.
Selection does not guarantee a green card. Those selected must complete additional procedures, including document verification and an interview, before a visa can be issued.
Registration and selection-status checks are available through the program’s official website, dvprogram.state.gov.
A federal court in the Southern District of California has ordered the US State Department to hold the DV-2027 green card lottery, registration for which was supposed to take place in autumn 2025. According to the court ruling, applications must be opened no later than 1 November 2026.
The ruling was issued on 14 October by Judge Jinsook Ohta, who granted a motion by the law firm Red Eagle Law, which had filed a lawsuit against US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
As Forbes.kz reports, the court initially ordered the State Department to announce registration dates by 15 October, open applications no later than 18 October, and accept them for 30 days. The results of the selection were to be published by 19 November.
However, both parties later requested a two-week extension of the deadlines. The court granted their joint motion.
As reported by Red Eagle Law, under the updated schedule the State Department must announce registration dates by 29 October, open applications no later than 1 November, and notify selected participants by 3 December.
The court ruling does not yet mean the lottery will actually resume. President Donald Trump’s administration may appeal the decision, though filing an appeal does not in itself suspend its effect.
As of 16 October, the official website of the DV-2027 programme has not yet opened applications.
Why was the lottery not held on time?
Registration for DV-2027 was supposed to take place in autumn 2025. However, the US State Department never announced the opening of applications.
In November last year, the American authorities announced changes to the procedure for participating in the programme and promised to announce new registration dates at a later stage.
In August 2026, the law firm Red Eagle Law filed a lawsuit demanding that the State Department be required to hold the lottery. In September, the court declined to impose emergency measures but continued to hear the case.
How many Tajikistan citizens won in the last lottery?
The Diversity Visa programme provides for the annual distribution of up to 55,000 immigrant visas among nationals of countries with relatively low levels of immigration to the United States.
By comparison, 3,754 people were selected from Uzbekistan, 3,324 from Kyrgyzstan, 2,723 from Kazakhstan, and 2,542 from Turkmenistan.
Being selected in the lottery does not guarantee receiving a green card. Winners must complete further procedures, including document verification and an interview. Official registration and results checks are carried out through the website dvprogram.state.gov.