Updates
What changed, and when things happen.
We check each item against the official source before it goes up, and we report what actually happened, not guesses.
DV-2027
Reinstated by court orderA federal court (Red Eagle Law, L.C. v. Rubio) ordered entries to open Nov 1, 2026 for 30 days, to Nov 30, 2026. The State Department must publish the details by Oct 29, 2026; check travel.state.gov once it does.
- Public announcement
- By Oct 29, 2026
- Registration
- Nov 1, 2026 – Nov 30, 2026
- Selectees notified
- By Dec 3, 2026
- Visa year
- Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027
- Entry fee
- $1, new this year
- Passport
- Required at entry
How a DV year usually runs
Every year has followed the same rhythm: entries in October, results in May, then a visa year from October to the following September. From entering to the last possible visa is two years.
Entries open
Early October
Between Oct 2 and Oct 7 in every normal year.
Open for
About 5 weeks
35–37 days, closing in early November.
Results
Early May
May 4–15: about 6 months after entries close.
Visa year
Oct 1 – Sep 30
Starts the October after results. Visas stop on Sep 30, finished or not.
DV-2019 *
DV-2020
DV-2021
DV-2022
DV-2023
DV-2024
DV-2025
DV-2026 *
DV-2027
Hover or tab to any mark for exact dates. * DV-2019 was restarted after a technical fault; DV-2026’s first notice printed the wrong year and was corrected.
Show as a table
| Year | Registration | Results from | Visa year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DV-2019 | Oct 18, 2017 – Nov 22, 2017 | May 15, 2018 | Oct 1, 2018 – Sep 30, 2019 | Federal Register 2017-22638 |
| DV-2020 | Oct 3, 2018 – Nov 6, 2018 | May 7, 2019 | Oct 1, 2019 – Sep 30, 2020 | Federal Register 2018-20796 |
| DV-2021 | Oct 2, 2019 – Nov 5, 2019 | May 5, 2020 | Oct 1, 2020 – Sep 30, 2021 | DV-2021 instructions |
| DV-2022 | Oct 7, 2020 – Nov 10, 2020 | May 8, 2021 | Oct 1, 2021 – Sep 30, 2022 | DV-2022 instructions |
| DV-2023 | Oct 6, 2021 – Nov 9, 2021 | May 8, 2022 | Oct 1, 2022 – Sep 30, 2023 | DV-2023 instructions |
| DV-2024 | Oct 5, 2022 – Nov 8, 2022 | May 6, 2023 | Oct 1, 2023 – Sep 30, 2024 | Fredrikson, May 2023 |
| DV-2025 | Oct 4, 2023 – Nov 7, 2023 | May 4, 2024 | Oct 1, 2024 – Sep 30, 2025 | Federal Register 2023-21807 |
| DV-2026 | Oct 2, 2024 – Nov 7, 2024 | May 4, 2025 | Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026 | Federal Register 2024-25240 |
| DV-2027 | Nov 1, 2026 – Nov 30, 2026 | By Dec 3, 2026 | Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027 | Court order (Red Eagle Law v. Rubio) |
DV-2027 hasn't followed the pattern
Recent DV news
- Litigation
Court orders DV-2027 registration to open by November 1, 2026
Affects: Everyone planning to enter the DV-2027 lottery.
DetailsHide details
In Red Eagle Law, L.C. v. Rubio, a federal court in California ordered the Department of State to announce DV-2027 registration by October 29, 2026, open it by November 1 for 30 days (to November 30), and notify selectees by December 3, 2026. The DV-2027 visa year runs to September 30, 2027. The government may appeal; confirm the dates on travel.state.gov once the Department publishes them.
fragomen.com · verified Oct 18, 2026
- Visa Bulletin
September 2026 Visa Bulletin publishes the final DV-2026 regional cutoffs
Affects: All DV-2026 selectees who have not yet been issued a visa or adjusted status.
DetailsHide details
The September 2026 bulletin carries the last DV-2026 regional rank cutoffs. Compare your regional case number against the cutoff for your region, and remember that DV-2026 eligibility ends September 30, 2026.
travel.state.gov · verified Sep 1, 2026
- Entry process
DV-2027 entry process changes announced; no registration start date in the reviewed notice
Affects: Anyone planning to enter the DV-2027 lottery.
DetailsHide details
The Department of State announced changes to the DV-2027 entry process. The notice reviewed for this build did not announce a registration start date. The DV-2027 visa application period runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
travel.state.gov · verified Sep 1, 2026
- Operational
December 2025 pause on DV issuance is no longer in effect
Affects: DV selectees whose issuance was held under the December 2025 pause.
DetailsHide details
The Department of State updated its Diversity Visa guidance on August 31, 2026, stating that as of August 28, 2026, and pursuant to a court order, the December 2025 pause on DV issuance is no longer in effect.
travel.state.gov · verified Sep 1, 2026
- Operational
January 2026 immigrant-visa pause affecting nationals of 75 countries reported as no longer in effect
Affects: Immigrant-visa applicants who are nationals of the affected countries, DV and non-DV alike.
DetailsHide details
The Department of State reported that the separate January 2026 immigrant-visa pause affecting nationals of 75 countries was no longer in effect as of August 21, 2026, following a court order. This is distinct from the DV-specific pause.
travel.state.gov · verified Sep 1, 2026
- Regulation
Entry regulations added passport-information requirements
Affects: Entrants for program years governed by the amended entry regulations.
DetailsHide details
Effective April 10, 2026, DV entry regulations added passport-information and passport biographic-page requirements unless an exemption applies. Entry preparation is versioned by program year to reflect this.
justice.gov · verified Sep 1, 2026