State Department Tight-Lipped on DV-2027 Registration, Citing National Security Amid New Vetting Protocols

The U.S. Department of State on Thursday declined to provide a timeline for opening registration for the 2027 Diversity Visa program, citing national security as the administration implements new vetting protocols.

“The Trump administration is protecting our nation and its citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process,” a State Department spokesperson told NepYork. “We have nothing to announce regarding the 2027 Diversity Visa program.”

The 2027 Diversity Visa registration period has already been delayed by more than six months. The lottery typically opens during the first week of October each year. A federal rule that took effect April 10 officially reinstated the “passport rule,” requiring all entrants to provide valid passport details and a digital scan of their biographic page when registering. The DV‑2027 cycle will also be the first to require a $1 electronic registration fee.

“Any updates will be posted to our newsroom at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news.html,” the spokesperson added.

Another State Department spokesperson previously told NepYork that the Diversity Visa program is established by statute and will continue as required by law. The department had referred to a key update announced Sept. 15 — the introduction of a $1 registration fee — explaining that the fee ensures the cost of managing the random selection process is covered by applicants rather than the general public. It is also intended to reduce fraudulent or speculative entries often submitted by third‑party brokers.

Although the department has not specified when registration for DV‑2027 will begin, officials emphasized that the program remains active and will be implemented transparently in accordance with U.S. immigration law. Applicants are advised to follow official updates only through travel.state.gov.

On Nov. 5, the department announced a delay to the launch of DV‑2027 registration, confirming that “certain changes” to the entry process would push the opening of the application window beyond its customary early‑October start.

“The department is implementing certain changes to the Diversity Visa entry process,” the statement said. “We will announce the start date for the DV‑2027 registration period as soon as practicable, as well as the date that DV‑2027 selection results may become available through the Entrant Status Check portal.”

Despite procedural adjustments and delays, officials confirmed that the critical visa application period for selected entrants will remain unchanged. Winners of the DV‑2027 lottery will have one year — from Oct. 1, 2026, to Sept. 30, 2027 — to apply for their immigrant visas.

The Diversity Visa Lottery usually opens in early October. This year’s launch has already been delayed more than six months, fueling uncertainty among millions of prospective applicants worldwide. The delay has prompted speculation regarding the causes and potential timeline for DV‑2027 registration.

For comparison, the DV‑2026 program accepted entries Oct. 2–Nov. 7, 2024; DV‑2025 ran Oct. 4–Nov. 7, 2023; and DV‑2024 was open Oct. 5–Nov. 8, 2022.

In 2017, a technical glitch forced the department to reset the DV‑2019 registration period after entries submitted between Oct. 3 and Oct. 10 were lost. A new application window opened Oct. 18 that year.

In mid‑October, the Bureau of Consular Affairs reiterated that “dates for the DV‑2027 program registration period will be widely publicized in the coming months.” The same update appeared in the Visa Bulletin.

Some immigration attorneys suggest the delay may be linked to the global rollout of a new electronic payment system. “Rolling out an electronic payment platform across all qualifying regions could be the technical reason for this prolonged wait,” said Keshab Seadie, a New York‑based immigration lawyer.