The U.S. government has filed an appeal to suspend the launch of the Green Card lottery

The U.S. government has appealed a federal court ruling that requires the State Department to open registration for the DV-2027 Green Card lottery. The U.S. government is also requesting that the court order be stayed. If this motion is granted, the start of registration may be delayed again.

On October 14, a federal court ordered the U.S. State Department to open registration for the DV-2027 program, which allows participants to enter the Diversity Visa lottery.

According to Morrison, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has appealed the court’s decision and filed a motion for a stay pending appeal.

The U.S. government is asking the court to consider the motion for a stay pending appeal until October 21, 2026.

If the requested decision is not granted, the government plans to file an appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit as early as October 22.

At the same time, filing an appeal does not in itself overturn the federal court’s ruling nor does it automatically halt its enforcement. To suspend the registration, the government must obtain a separate court order.

Until the court issues a ruling to stay the preliminary injunction, the deadlines set by it remain in effect.

• October 29, 2026 — The U.S. Department of State must announce the dates and conditions for registration.
• November 1, 2026—Deadline for opening the DV-2027 registration.
• December 3, 2026 — Deadline for notifying selected participants.

Thus, the future launch of the DV-2027 Green Card lottery will depend on the outcome of the legal proceedings. If the U.S. government’s motion is granted, the order to open registration may be suspended, potentially leading to a further delay.

On January 27, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Trump administration’s initiative, tightening the rules for issuing Green Cards. Five justices voted in favor of the stricter rules, while four voted against them.