Green card lottery 2027: US judge orders registration to open
A US federal judge has ordered the State Department to open registration for the 2027 Diversity Visa lottery, commonly known as the green card lottery, reports a Qazinform News Agency correspondent, citing a court order.
US District Judge Jinsook Ohta issued the preliminary injunction on October 14 in the Southern District of California in Red Eagle Law, L.C. v. Rubio.
The original ruling required registration to open by October 18 and remain available for 30 days, with selected entrants notified by November 19.
However, Red Eagle Law subsequently announced that the judge had approved a joint request extending the registration-opening and selection-notification deadlines by two weeks, shifting them to November 1 and December 3, respectively.
Under the original order, the State Department must publish the registration dates, entry website and participation requirements through its official channels.
“The registration period shall last for thirty days,” the ruling states.
The department must process selected applicants under its usual procedures and applicable law until the fiscal year’s available diversity visas are exhausted or September 30, 2027, whichever comes first.
The State Department previously said changes to the entry process had delayed the announcement of registration dates. The court’s decision establishes deadlines for running the program; it does not itself mean registration has already opened.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services had issued a policy memorandum requiring most foreign nationals seeking permanent residency to apply for a green card from outside the United States through consular processing.