United States | State Department update on diversity visa issuance pause

The State Department updated its webpage on the diversity visa pause with the following statement:

“As of August 28, 2026, in accordance with the Court’s order in Medani et al. v. Trump et al., the December 2025 pause of diversity visa issuance is no longer in effect.”

Additional information: The State Department last updated its website regarding diversity visa issuance on Dec. 23, 2025, when it announced it “paused all visa issuances to diversity immigration visa applicants.”

In the Medani et al. v. Trump et al. ruling, the federal court certified three diversity visa 2026 subclasses and preliminarily enjoined the Trump administration’s three visa-freeze policies as likely arbitrary and capricious, ordering resumed processing. The court set a Sept. 18, 2026, status conference to inquire about the current state of adjudications and set a schedule for the remainder of the case.

As a reminder, all diversity visas for fiscal year 2026 must be issued by the end of the fiscal year, Sept. 30, 2026. The State Department has not yet announced instructions for fiscal year 2027. BAL is monitoring the matter and will provide updates.

This alert has been provided by the BAL U.S. Practice Group.

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