Politics, Delay & Design: Why the DV-2027 Lottery Isn’t Opening on Time

By Richard T. Herman, Esq. & Team
(For a consultation, visit the Herman Legal Group.)

1. A Historic Pause in the Lottery

For more than thirty years, early October has symbolized a moment of hope: the opening of the Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery Program, when millions of people around the world submit their entries for a chance at up to 55,000 green cards.

But in 2025, for the cycle known as DV-2027, that moment never came. The U.S. Department of State confirmed the delay, promising “changes to the entry process,” but offering no date or explanation. The delay in the DV-2027 lottery opening is largely attributed to a new change in the entry process being rolled out by the State Department. The U.S. State Department has confirmed that the DV-2027 program will proceed, but entry has been delayed due to changes in the application system. The State Department has acknowledged that changes to the entry process are being made this year, hence the wait for the DV-2027 lottery opening.

“Administrative excuses often mask political intent. When legal immigration slows, opportunity shrinks.”
— Richard T. Herman, Immigration Attorney

This delay breaks more than three decades of predictability. For many immigration experts, it marks a deeper shift — one that may blend technical excuses with political design.

2. The Normal Pattern — and What Changed

Historically, the DV Lottery opens each year in early October and closes in early November.

Recent cycles:

• DV-2024: October 5 – November 8
• DV-2025: October 4 – November 7
• DV-2026: October 2 – November 7

In contrast, DV-2027 has no published start or end date. The October 2025 Visa Bulletin simply stated that registration “will be publicized in the coming months.” The U.S. Department of State will announce the DV-2027 entry period dates as soon as they are ready, which will appear on travel.state.gov. The official registration period for DV-2027 will be announced on the State Department’s official website and in the Federal Register. The State Department has stated that new registration dates for the DV-2027 lottery will be announced soon.

This silence is unprecedented. The delay disrupts global preparation schedules, document validity timelines, and confidence in the fairness of the process.

3. The Official Explanations

Officials and analysts have offered three main explanations for the DV-2027 delay.

IT Modernization

The State Department claims it is upgrading the electronic DV portal to support new security and payment systems. Several immigration law blogs, including NEPYork Legal Review, report that the modernization effort may have contributed to the delay. The U.S. government needs additional time to update the registration system to securely process payments from multiple countries. The requirement for a new payment processing system on the application website is a direct cause of the delays. This fee is intended to make the lottery process more self-sustaining and secure.

The New $1 Registration Fee

For the first time, the agency plans to charge a $1 registration fee per entry. According to the Sedki Immigration Law Blog, the fee is intended to deter mass fraud and recover administrative costs. A final rule establishing the $1 registration fee for the DV Lottery was published in the Federal Register on September 16, 2025. Critics argue the fee also adds friction that may discourage participation from lower-income regions, undermining the program’s diversity goals. The DV-2027 Diversity Visa Lottery will now require a $1 electronic entry fee. The new $1 fee aims to generate approximately $25 million annually to help fund the DV program’s operations. The $1 fee is non-refundable, meaning it will not be returned under any circumstances.

Administrative Disruptions

The 2025 federal shutdown and related staffing shortages may also have slowed systems development and data integration. The NEPYork Report noted that other immigration programs also faced similar “quiet slowdowns” after the shutdown. The DV-2027 lottery is expected to begin its registration period in late 2025 or early 2026, according to current forecasts. A U.S. government shutdown in early October 2025 may have slowed down the rollout of the new system for the DV-2027 lottery.

“Delay is the new denial. Bureaucracy has become the border wall no one sees.”
— Richard T. Herman

While each explanation seems credible, their convergence suggests a more deliberate, structural recalibration of immigration policy.

4. Politics or Policy? The Trump–Vance Factor

The DV-2027 delay cannot be understood without examining the broader immigration climate under the Trump–Vance administration.

J.D. Vance’s Call to Reduce All Legal Immigration

At a public event in 2025, Vice President J.D. Vance declared:

“We have to get the overall numbers way, way down.”
(Associated Press)

That comment, directed at legal as well as unauthorized immigration, underscores an administration-wide goal of drastically reducing immigration levels — including lawful programs such as the DV Lottery.

Project 2025’s Blueprint for Abolition

The Project 2025 Policy Agenda — produced by the Heritage Foundation and adopted by leading Trump allies — explicitly states:

“The diversity visa lottery should be repealed.”

Project 2025 frames the program as “randomized immigration” inconsistent with its proposed merit-based system. The DV-2027 delay therefore aligns with the roadmap’s call to dismantle diversity-based entry channels.

Trump 1.0: Earlier Efforts to End the DV Lottery

This is not new. In November 2017, during his first term, President Trump said:

“I am today starting the process of terminating the diversity lottery program. I’m going to ask Congress to immediately initiate work to get rid of this program.”
(CBS News)

Trump had previously linked the DV program to national security concerns, framing it as “a lottery of terrorists.” Congress resisted repeal, but the rhetoric left a lasting mark — setting the stage for procedural erosion rather than outright abolition.

5. Design by Delay: Bureaucracy as Border Wall

Delays, short windows, and new technical requirements can serve as quiet policy tools.

Practical effects of delay:

• Fewer participants able to prepare or submit in time.
• Compressed registration window leading to data errors and disqualifications.
• A new $1 fee introducing economic barriers in developing nations.
• Disadvantage for rural and low-connectivity regions.

As Herman Legal Group explains:

“When you create procedural friction, you shrink opportunity.”

Without formally repealing the DV program, policymakers can achieve the same outcome — fewer entries, less diversity, and a quieter political backlash. There is speculation that the delay in the DV-2027 lottery is part of broader political efforts by the Trump administration to modernize U.S. immigration systems.

6. Refugee Caps and the Erosion of Diversity

While the DV Lottery is stalled, other immigration pathways are also being reshaped — often in ways that contradict its founding principle of diversity.

Radical Reductions in Refugee Admissions

During Trump’s first term, the refugee cap dropped from roughly 125,000 to just 18,000 — the lowest since the program’s inception. The new administration has reportedly reduced it further to around 7,500, according to The Guardian.

Prioritization of White South Africans

Media reports reveal that the administration has prioritized refugee processing for white South Africans (Afrikaners), citing “religious persecution.” Analysts describe this as a symbolic and ideological shift — favoring a white minority group while closing doors to Black, Middle Eastern, and Asian refugees.

Contradiction to the DV Program’s Purpose

The Diversity Visa Program was created under the 1990 Immigration Act to broaden representation of immigrants from under-represented countries — particularly in Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe.
In contrast, recent refugee and visa policies suggest a retreat toward racial hierarchy rather than diversity. The DV lottery program provides a pathway to U.S. permanent residency for individuals from countries with low immigration rates to the United States.

The shift raises an uncomfortable question:

Is the United States moving from promoting global inclusion to favoring selective whiteness in its legal immigration design?

7. Lessons from Past Controversies

The DV Program has survived previous turbulence.

• In 2017, a technical glitch forced the DV-2019 window to reopen after one week.
• Fraudulent brokers have long exploited entrants, prompting new anti-fraud rules.
• Historically, entering the DV lottery was entirely free until the introduction of the $1 fee for DV-2027.
• Now, administrative and political “maintenance” risks becoming the new form of exclusion.

Each disruption, while seemingly procedural, incrementally limits access. The pattern is unmistakable: when systems grow opaque, fewer applicants succeed — and diversity quietly diminishes.

8. What Applicants Should Do Now

Even in uncertainty, preparation remains power.

Steps to take:

1. Monitor the official DV portal daily.
2. Prepare documents in advance: valid passport, compliant photos, proof of education or work experience, and country eligibility confirmation.
3. Set up a secure payment method for the $1 fee once registration opens.
4. Subscribe to trusted sources like the Herman Legal Group and the Visa Lawyer Blog.
5. Avoid third-party scams promising guaranteed selection.
6. Apply immediately once the system opens — early submissions face fewer technical risks.
7. To enter DV-2027, you must have been born in a country that is eligible for the program.

Strategic tip:

The registration window may be shorter than usual. Those who prepare early will have a crucial advantage.

9. Expert Voices and Law Firm Resources

“Immigration law is increasingly weaponized. The DV-2027 delay is not a glitch — it’s a message.”
— Richard T. Herman, Esq., Herman Legal Group

Trusted Firms and Information Sources

10. Key Takeaways

• The DV-2027 Lottery has not opened on schedule for the first time in decades.
• Officials blame modernization, new fees, and administrative backlogs — but evidence points to political influence.
• J.D. Vance has called for dramatically lowering all legal immigration numbers.
• Project 2025 explicitly urges the repeal of the Diversity Visa Lottery.
• Refugee policies now prioritize white South Africans, contradicting the DV program’s diversity mission.
• The trend signals a move from inclusion to exclusion — bureaucracy as silent border control.
• Applicants must stay alert, prepare documents, and apply immediately once registration reopens.

“Transparency is the first casualty when policy hides behind procedure.”
— Richard T. Herman

Need Help?

For professional guidance on your eligibility for the Diversity Visa or other U.S. immigration options, schedule a consultation with the Herman Legal Group.