Now that Trump has suspended the Diversity Visa lottery, here’s what it means
President Donald Trump has suspended the Diversity Visa Lottery, a long-standing immigration program that offers a path to permanent residency — commonly known as a green card — for applicants from countries with low levels of immigration to the United States.
The U.S. Department of State has since outlined how the suspension affects current and future applicants.
The decision was confirmed by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem following a fatal shooting at Brown University. Authorities said the suspect, a Portuguese national, had allegedly entered the United States legally through the Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery — a program Trump unsuccessfully attempted to dismantle during his first term in 2017.
What does the suspension mean for applicants?
The Diversity Visa Program is designed to diversify the immigrant population by granting visas to applicants from underrepresented countries. Those selected may obtain permanent residency if they meet education, work experience, and background requirements.
Under the updated policy, the State Department says the issuance of diversity immigrant visas has been suspended “with immediate effect.” While applications and interviews may continue, no new diversity visas will be granted while the suspension remains in place.
The agency said the pause allows federal officials to conduct a comprehensive review of the program’s screening and vetting procedures. The goal, according to the department, is to identify vulnerabilities and ensure applicants do not pose a risk to national or public security.
Can people still apply for the DV Lottery?
Yes — for now. The State Department says applicants may continue submitting DV lottery entries and attending previously scheduled interviews. However, those interviews will not result in visa approvals while the suspension is active.
The department also noted that existing appointments generally will not be canceled or rescheduled and that no exceptions to the suspension are currently planned. Will approved diversity visas be revoked?
No. The State Department has said that no diversity visas — or any other visas — have been revoked as a result of the policy change.
Typically, the DV Lottery makes more than 50,000 green cards available each fiscal year through a free registration process. In the most recent lottery, Cuban citizens were excluded because of the high number of Cuban immigrants admitted under other programs during the Biden administration.
Applicants must still meet eligibility standards, and selection alone does not guarantee a consular interview or final visa approval.
So far, the federal government has not said whether the program will be permanently restructured, reinstated with new rules, or eliminated altogether. Other immigration changes under Trump
The suspension of the DV Lottery is part of a broader tightening of U.S. immigration policy. The Trump administration has also moved to overhaul the H-1B work visa program by eliminating random selection and prioritizing higher-skilled, higher-paid applicants.
That program is capped at 65,000 visas annually, with an additional 20,000 reserved for applicants with advanced U.S. degrees.
Earlier this month, the administration also suspended immigration applications from citizens of 19 countries — including Cuba and Venezuela — and paused the processing of green cards and U.S. citizenship applications.