(UNITED STATES) Diversity Visa (DV) selectees from 19 countries hit by the June 2025 travel ban are finding that their once‑celebrated win in the green card lottery now offers almost no path forward. As of June 9, 2025, at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time, most of them can no longer move ahead with consular processing for immigrant visas, unless they fit into a narrow set of exemptions written into the ban.
What the policy does and who is affected
The policy blocks both immigrant and nonimmigrant visas for the following countries:
– Afghanistan
– Burma (Myanmar)
– Chad
– Democratic Republic of Congo
– Equatorial Guinea
– Eritrea
– Haiti
– Iran
– Libya
– Somalia
– Sudan
– Yemen
The policy also suspends immigrant visas (but not all nonimmigrant visas) for these countries:
– Burundi
– Cuba
– Laos
– Sierra Leone
– Togo
– Turkmenistan
– Venezuela
For DV selectees from any of these 19 countries, the impact is direct and immediate:
– Consulates have been told not to schedule new DV interviews.
– In many cases, they are instructed to withhold or delay visa stamps even where interviews already took place.
How consular posts are responding
According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, U.S. consular posts have begun canceling or postponing planned interviews for DV winners from the listed countries, explaining that they cannot issue visas while the June 2025 travel ban is in force.
Even applicants who are already deep into the process can be affected:
– A DV selectee who completed medical exams, paid fees, and sat for an interview before June 9 may still receive no visa, because consular officers must withhold the visa stamp if the travel ban is active on the date of issuance.
Critical deadline: DV‑2025 ends September 30, 2025
The timing is especially harsh because the DV‑2025 program ends on September 30, 2025, a date fixed by U.S. law. Important points:
– The program has no built‑in safety valve for people blocked by external policies such as a travel ban.
– There are no automatic extensions, grace periods, or replacement visas for those who lose their chance this year.
– If a visa is not issued and printed by midnight on September 30, 2025, the selectee loses their slot permanently.
The Diversity Visa program issues a fixed number of immigrant visas each year; any delay caused by the travel ban can be fatal to an individual case.
Effects on selectees already in the United States
DV selectees who are already inside the United States and hoping to apply for permanent residence from within (rather than through consular processing) are also covered by the ban.
– Even if they meet all normal requirements, officers must deny their green card applications unless the applicant fits a limited waiver or one of the listed exemptions in the proclamation.
Exemptions and waivers — very limited
Officials have carved out some exceptions, but these are tightly drawn.
Automatic exemptions include:
– U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, even if they are dual nationals of an affected country.
– Dual nationals using a passport from a non‑banned country.
– Certain diplomats and officials.
– Individuals who already hold a valid U.S. visa issued before June 9, 2025.
– Some immediate relatives of U.S. citizens in defined situations.
– Limited humanitarian cases and certain Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders.
Limited national‑interest waivers:
– The policy allows case‑by‑case national‑interest waivers, but these are described as rare and not guaranteed.
– An applicant must show that their entry would be in the national interest and that blocking them would cause undue hardship or harm U.S. interests.
– There is no public indication these waivers will be widely used for DV selectees, who are chosen by random lottery rather than for specific employment or skills.
What does and does not circumvent the ban
Consular officers have been instructed that:
– Routing travel through a third country or changing the interview location does not bypass the ban.
– A person’s nationality (not the place of application or transit) determines applicability.
– Using a different passport does not help if the applicant is in fact a national of a banned country and is applying through the Diversity Visa program.
Broader impacts and enhanced vetting
The June 2025 travel ban has triggered enhanced vetting for many other applicants beyond the 19 countries.
- The U.S. Department of State notes that security screening and background checks can already slow immigrant processing; see the official guidance at: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/diversity-visa-program-entry.html
- Under the new rules, DV selectees from non‑banned countries are being warned to expect:
- Tighter questioning
- Longer waits for interview dates
- Extra review before any visa is printed
Human consequences and family impacts
For thousands of families, a moment of joy has turned into deep uncertainty.
- Because DV visas are limited to a specific fiscal year and cannot be transferred, any delay caused by the travel ban may permanently end a family’s chance to immigrate through DV‑2025.
- Even if someone later becomes exempt or obtains a waiver, the decision may come too late to meet the September 30 deadline.
- The split between fully banned and partially banned countries produces uneven outcomes:
- In fully banned countries (immigrant and nonimmigrant visas blocked), DV selectees cannot enter even temporarily.
- In partially banned countries (immigrant visas suspended but some nonimmigrant visas allowed), some family members may still travel on short‑term visas while the principal applicant is shut out from immigrant processing.
- This forces difficult family choices about separation, timing, and who can safely travel.
Key takeaways for DV‑2025 selectees from the affected countries
- No new DV interviews will be scheduled for selectees from the 19 affected countries.
- Consulates are instructed to refuse visa issuance after June 9, 2025, unless a specified exemption or waiver applies.
- The DV‑2025 window closes on September 30, 2025 with no extensions.
- Only those who clearly fall under an automatic exemption, or who receive a rare national‑interest waiver, can still hope to complete consular processing and receive an immigrant visa before the deadline.
For everyone else, the clock is running down on a once‑in‑a‑lifetime chance to immigrate under the U.S. Diversity Visa program.
The June 2025 travel ban suspended consular processing for Diversity Visa selectees from 19 listed countries beginning June 9, 2025. U.S. consulates halted scheduling DV interviews and may withhold visa stamps even after completed interviews. DV‑2025 expires September 30, 2025, with no extensions, so affected selectees risk permanently losing their slots. Only narrow automatic exemptions and rare national‑interest waivers offer potential relief, but approvals are limited and timing is critical.
