Acting on the directions of US President Donald Trump, the green card lottery—formally known as the Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery—has been temporarily suspended. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has been instructed to pause the processing of applications under the scheme. The decision comes nearly a month after the administration indicated that it planned to revise the application process for the upcoming DV-2027 cycle.
US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the move was taken at the president’s direction and was necessary in view of security-related risks. In a post on social media platform X, Noem said that a suspect involved in recent violent incidents had entered the United States through the programme, calling it an unacceptable lapse.
What is the Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery?
The Diversity Visa Lottery—commonly referred to as the green card lottery—makes available up to 55,000 immigrant visas each year. These visas are issued through a random lottery-based selection process to applicants from countries that historically send fewer immigrants to the United States. Even after selection, applicants must meet education or work-experience requirements, clear security and background checks, and complete interviews before being granted permanent residency.
How many apply and how many are selected?
Interest in the programme remains exceptionally high worldwide. For the 2025 DV Lottery, nearly 20 million applications were submitted. Of these, more than 131,000 individuals were selected—a figure that includes principal applicants as well as their spouses and dependants. Final approval is granted only after candidates complete multiple layers of screening.
Key points:
- Up to 55,000 green cards issued annually
- Selection through a lottery, followed by rigorous vetting
- Education or work experience is mandatory
Which countries benefit the most?
The programme primarily benefits applicants from Africa, as well as parts of Europe, Asia and Oceania with historically low migration rates to the United States. For instance, in 2025, citizens of Portugal received only 38 slots under the lottery.
Indian nationals are not eligible for the DV Lottery, as India already sends a large number of immigrants to the US through family-based and employment-based routes.
What changes were proposed for DV-2027?
Last month, the administration announced plans to revise the DV Lottery entry process for the DV-2027 cycle, though specific details were not made public. The current suspension is being viewed as part of this broader review, alongside a reassessment of security safeguards.
Background to the security concerns
While explaining the suspension, the administration referred to recent shooting incidents linked to Brown University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
On December 13, 2025, a shooting at Brown University in Rhode Island during final examination week left two students dead and nine injured.
On December 15, 2025, MIT physics professor Nuno Gomes Loureiro was shot and killed outside his home in Massachusetts.
Following the incidents, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and local law enforcement agencies conducted a five-day manhunt, which ended after a person of interest was found dead inside a storage unit in New Hampshire.
What happens next?
The suspension of the DV Lottery has been described as temporary, but no clear timeline has been given for its resumption. Immigration experts say the administration is likely to decide on future steps only after finalising enhanced security checks and procedural reforms. Until then, both selection and application processing remain frozen.
The decision is expected to affect millions of hopeful applicants from eligible countries who view the DV Lottery as a rare pathway to permanent residence in the United States. For countries such as India, however, the move has no direct impact, as their citizens are outside the scope of the programme.
