US District Judge Jinsook Ohta issued the order on October 14, requiring Secretary of State Marco Rubio to announce the registration dates and open the programme to applicants. The lottery offers up to 55,000 immigrant visas annually to eligible people from countries with historically low levels of immigration to the United States.
The ruling followed a lawsuit filed by Red Eagle Law, a Southern California law firm that assists applicants with the program. Its founder, Curtis Morrison, argued that the State Department’s failure to open registration had effectively cancelled the 2027 lottery.
The government had argued that it was too late to launch the program.
Registration deadline extended to November 1
Under the judge’s initial order, the State Department had to announce the registration period by October 15 and keep it open for at least 30 days.
However, Red Eagle Law later said it had joined the government in requesting a two-week extension. The court approved the revised schedule, according to the firm.
The department must now announce the registration dates by October 29, open applications no later than November 1, and notify selected entrants by December 3, Red Eagle Law said.
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The order also requires the department to accept eligible electronic entries and process selected applicants under its usual procedures until all available visas have been issued or the 2027 US fiscal year ends on September 30, 2027, whichever comes first.
As of October 16, registration had not opened on the official Diversity Visa website. Applicants should wait for the State Department to publish the official dates and instructions.
