The Green Card Lottery Was Dead. A Federal Judge Just Revived It: Your DV-2027 Cheat Sheet (Oct. 21, 2026)

As of October 21, the Diversity Visa lottery is back from the brink, but not out of the legal woods. A federal judge has ordered the State Department to reopen DV-2027 registration, while the government is appealing and has asked to pause the order.

So, yes, it’s time to get organized. But treat the dates below as court-ordered and subject to change, not as a guarantee that registration will open on schedule. Immigration timelines can move quickly; keeping up with them is not everyone’s idea of a relaxing hobby.

The news: an order to reopen, and an appeal

The State Department announced changes to the FY2027 Diversity Visa program in November 2025, then paused the program in December. Registration never opened.

On October 14, 2026, U.S. District Judge Jinsook Ohta of the Southern District of California issued a preliminary injunction in Red Eagle Law, L.C. v. Rubio, No. 3:26-cv-04738, ordering the State Department to reopen DV-2027 registration. The program makes up to 55,000 diversity visas available each year to natives of countries with historically low levels of immigration to the United States.

But there’s a major caveat: the government filed a notice of appeal on October 19 and separately asked the judge to stay, or pause, her injunction. That means the schedule could be paused or reversed with little or no notice. You can read the reporting from Newsweek and the Fragomen alert.

Bottom line: prepare, but check the official State Department website for updates before acting.

The court-ordered DV-2027 timeline

Under amended deadlines agreed to by the parties and approved by the court:

• By midnight ET, October 29, 2026: The State Department must publicly announce registration details on its website.

• By midnight ET, November 1, 2026: Registration must open.

• For 30 days: Registration must remain open.

• By midnight ET, December 3, 2026: Selectees must be notified.

• Through September 30, 2027, or until the annual allocation is exhausted, whichever comes first: DV-2027 visa applications must be processed.

These are deadlines in a court order, not a promise that the appeal will leave them untouched. Check the State Department’s official DV entry page and its registration site, dvprogram.state.gov, for the latest instructions.

What’s new this cycle: a $1 fee and a passport scan

The DV-2027 changes are significant. A final rule published in the Federal Register on March 11, 2026, and effective April 10, 2026, introduced new entry requirements.

First, the entry fee is $1. It must be paid when you submit your entry, and there are no fee waivers. This is the registration fee, not a promise of selection, and not the later visa application fee if you are selected.

Second, a valid, unexpired passport is generally required. Entrants must provide the passport’s serial number, name, country of issuance, and expiration date. They must also upload a scan of the passport’s biographic and signature pages with the electronic entry form.

The passport scan must be a JPEG file no larger than 5MB. PDFs will not be accepted under the rule. A phone photo may be useful, but make sure it is clear, complete, and saved in the required format. For full rule details, see the Federal Register final rule, Public Notice 12948.

Limited passport exceptions apply to stateless individuals, certain nationals of Communist-controlled countries who cannot obtain a passport from that government, and people granted a case-by-case waiver. If you think an exception may apply to you, ask a licensed immigration attorney about your specific situation.

The State Department said the passport rule is intended to address fraud, identifying more than 2.5 million duplicate or fraudulent entries in the DV-2025 cycle alone.

Who may enter?

In plain language, the basic eligibility rules are unchanged:

• You must be a native of a country that qualifies for the relevant DV year. The eligible-country list can change, so use the official DV-2027 instructions once published rather than relying on an old list or a social media graphic.

• You must meet one of these education or work requirements: a high school education or its equivalent, or two years of qualifying work experience within the past five years in an occupation requiring at least two years of training or experience.

• You may submit only one entry per person for the program year. More than one entry for the same person can disqualify that person.

Selection is random. Meeting the requirements makes you eligible to enter; it does not guarantee selection, a visa, or permission to immigrate. If you’re unsure whether you qualify, speak with a licensed immigration attorney.

Scam-proof your entry

A good rule of thumb: if someone promises a guaranteed win, they’re selling certainty the lottery cannot offer.

• Enter only at dvprogram.state.gov, and only when the official registration window is open.

• Don’t pay anyone for a “guaranteed” selection or a special place in line. Selection is random.

• Check your result yourself through the official Entrant Status Check on the same government website.

• Save your confirmation number somewhere safe. You’ll need it to check your status.

Spanish-speaking readers may recognize the “notario” problem: a person who presents as an immigration expert or lottery agent may not be authorized to provide legal advice.

Start organizing now

You don’t need to wait for the registration site to open to get your paperwork in order. A little preparation now could make entry day less frantic, because nobody does their best form-filling while searching every drawer for a passport.

• Check that your passport is valid and unexpired.

• Prepare a clear scan of the biographic and signature pages as a JPEG under 5MB.

• Gather education records or details of work experience that may help document the eligibility requirement.

• Keep civil documents (such as birth, marriage, or adoption records) organized and accessible in case they are needed later in the process.

• Watch for the State Department’s official DV-2027 announcement for exact entry instructions, including photo requirements and any other steps.

For immigrants who are selected and eventually make a move, the dream-home chapter starts with organized paperwork. You can find out more about Make-A-Move Enterprise and its document support online. And once you’re building a life here, it can also be a good time to review life insurance beneficiary designations with a qualified professional.

How Make-A-Move Enterprise can help with documents

Make-A-Move Enterprise can help organize, prepare, review, copy, and notarize supporting documents for people navigating immigration paperwork. That may include reviewing a packet for completeness, preparing certified copies where appropriate, or notarizing a translation cover page when a notary’s role is to verify identity and witness a signature. We also provide paralegal outsourcing support for law firms that need extra administrative help.

We cannot advise you on DV eligibility, immigration strategy, or what you should put on an application. For legal advice about your circumstances, consult a licensed immigration attorney. You can learn more about the company through our website or browse the Make-A-Move Enterprise blog.

Disclaimer: Make-A-Move Enterprise, LLC is NOT a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Our team consists of non-lawyers providing reliable clerical, research, and administrative procedures to support legal work. We also offer paralegal outsourcing for firms needing extra hands.

The lottery may be back on the calendar, but the appeal means the schedule could still shift. What are you doing now to get your documents ready, and what questions would you like answered when the State Department publishes its official instructions?

Book an appointment online: https://calendly.com/makeamoveenterprise/60min or call us 24/7 at 561-335-0716 to schedule with a live representative.