DV Lottery Pause: What Current Winners Should Do Now (2025–26)

The December 19, 2025 order signed by President Donald J. Trump temporarily suspends new Diversity Visa (DV) lottery issuances and pauses operation of the DV lottery program, using presidential authority cited as 8 U.S.C. 1182(f) and 8 U.S.C. 1185(a), according to the White House proclamation text. For people already holding a green card, or those who already received a Diversity Visa immigrant visa, the most immediate point is what the proclamation text does not do: it doesn’t say that previously issued immigrant visas are automatically revoked, and it doesn’t say that lawful permanent resident (LPR) status is automatically taken away from people already admitted.

That distinction matters because the Diversity Visa process has strict time limits, and many selectees plan travel, medical exams, job exits, and school moves around interview dates. A pause in issuances can turn a routine consular step into weeks or months of uncertainty, and it can leave people with valid-looking documents but unclear permission to travel.

What the December 19, 2025 order says — and the limits in the text

The proclamation publicly posted by the White House frames the action as a restriction and limitation on entry of certain foreign nationals, and it includes a temporary suspension of the Diversity Visa program and related admissions, citing 8 U.S.C. 1182(f) and 8 U.S.C. 1185(a) as its legal basis.

Based on the wording described in the provided source, the proclamation is aimed at future admissions and program operation. The public text, as described, does not state that:

• an immigrant visa already printed in a passport is automatically canceled, or
• a person already admitted as an LPR automatically loses that status.

Even so, a suspension tied to entry and admissions can still create real-world barriers at the last step: boarding a plane, clearing inspection, or getting a case scheduled at a consulate. That’s why selectees are being urged to treat this as a live, fast-moving change and to keep close watch for agency instructions and any court action.

Immediate effects for DV-2025 selectees with visas already issued

DV-2025 selectees fall into different risk groups depending on where they are in the process.

• If you already entered the United States 🇺🇸 as an LPR and later received your green card, the proclamation text described in the source does not revoke that status on its face. But travelers should still prepare for extra scrutiny. The source notes that new entry restrictions can trigger review or re-adjudication at ports of entry, which in plain terms can mean secondary inspection and added questions. If you must travel, carry proof of status and expect delays.
• If you have an approved immigrant visa but have not used it to enter, your situation is more fragile. The source warns that your ability to seek entry may be affected because the proclamation limits certain admissions. A visa in your passport may look valid but still become hard to use if admissions are paused. The recommended step is immediate confirmation from the issuing authorities rather than assumptions.

Practical communications to make right away, based on the source:

1. Contact the U.S. consulate that issued your immigrant visa to ask whether the visa remains valid for travel and entry or whether you must wait for new instructions.
2. Contact the National Visa Center (NVC) to confirm what they can see in the case record and whether there are any flags, revalidation steps, or updated procedures.

Because timing can be everything, keep a record of every contact attempt (dates, names, and any written replies). Those details can matter if your case later becomes part of litigation or a formal request for urgent handling.

Immediate effects for DV-2026 selectees and pending cases

For DV-2026 selectees—many of whom will still be waiting for interview scheduling or final adjudication—the source says the December 19, 2025 order likely means a broad halt: visa interviews and immigrant visa issuances for many 2026 selectees may stop until the suspension is lifted or modified.

This is where the suspension of issuances hits hardest. A Diversity Visa case is not like many other immigration routes where a petition can sit for years without expiring. Selectees often have a narrow runway to complete documents, medical exams, and interviews, and a pause can push cases into a time squeeze.

If you were selected but you haven’t been scheduled for an interview, the source is blunt about the practical planning point: expect delays and don’t make irreversible plans based on earlier timelines. In everyday terms, hold off on actions that are hard to undo—quitting a job, selling a home, pulling children out of school—until you have written confirmation of what your post will do next.

The source advises close monitoring of:

• Emails and instructions from the Kentucky Consular Center (KCC)
• Messages from the U.S. embassy or consulate handling your case
• Official announcements from the United States Department of State (DOS) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, the most common failure point during sudden program pauses is silence: applicants wait for an automatic reschedule that never comes, while deadlines and document validity windows keep moving in the background.

Documentation to preserve now, before policies and procedures shift again

The source stresses a basic but often overlooked step: preserve your documents in a form you can quickly share and re-share. Keep both digital copies and paper copies, and keep them organized by date.

At minimum, preserve:

• Your Confirmation Number / Entrant Selection Number
• Your DS-260 confirmation page (Form DS-260 is the immigrant visa application used in Diversity Visa processing)
• Interview appointment letters (if already scheduled)
• Medical exam receipts
• Police certificates and clearances
• Any immigrant visa approval notices

If you need to access the immigrant visa application later, the official U.S. government page for Form DS-260 is here: Online Immigrant Visa Application (DS-260).

Keeping these records isn’t just good housekeeping. If an agency later asks you to prove you were documentarily complete, or if a court case turns on whether the government delayed a step after you did everything required, your saved timestamps and receipts become evidence.

Agency contact steps that match where your case sits

Different offices control different parts of the Diversity Visa pipeline. The source draws a bright line between cases still in consular processing and those in adjustment of status.

If your case is consular processing (interview at an embassy/consulate)

You’re primarily dealing with the consular post, with KCC and NVC in the background depending on case stage. Based on the source, take these steps quickly:

• Write the issuing consulate (for issued visas) or the processing post (for pending interviews) asking whether DV issuances are paused at that post and what they want you to do next.
• Contact the NVC if you already have a visa in hand but can’t tell whether travel is allowed under the new restrictions.

Be careful with wording. Ask direct questions such as:

• “Is my immigrant visa still valid for travel and admission?”
• “Are DV interviews being scheduled?”
• “Do you require any revalidation steps?”

Save every reply.

If your case is adjustment of status inside the United States 🇺🇸

Some Diversity Visa selectees file for adjustment of status through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) rather than interviewing abroad. The source advises that if your case is at the USCIS stage, you should contact USCIS or your attorney and watch for notices about processing pauses or re-adjudication.

Because the order focuses on admissions and program operation, the exact handling of adjustment cases may depend on internal guidance. Don’t assume your timeline stays the same just because you’re not going through a consulate.

Waivers and urgent cases: prepare for a process that may appear with little notice

The source points out that if you have an urgent humanitarian reason or a strong U.S.-family reason to travel or be admitted, you should prepare documentation that could support a waiver request or expedited review—if DHS or DOS publishes a waiver process.

Examples of supporting documents, as listed in the source, include:

• Family reunification evidence
• Medical records
• Job offers

The key is readiness. If a waiver channel opens, it may come with short submission windows or strict formatting rules. Having your evidence scanned, translated if needed, and indexed can save days you might not have.

Litigation risk and the value of a dated paper trail

The source anticipates administrative and court challenges. That expectation is grounded in history: executive actions affecting entry and visa processing often lead to emergency filings seeking injunctions to preserve rights for people with pending or approved visas.

The practical point for applicants is not to become amateur litigators, but to build a clean record. If you are directly affected—an approved visa you can’t use, an interview canceled, a case that stops moving—keep a log that includes:

• Dates you were scheduled, canceled, or told to wait
• Screenshots of case status updates and emails
• Copies of medical exam scheduling and expirations
• Proof of travel plans or job start dates if relevant

The source also recommends consulting an immigration attorney with experience in federal litigation tied to executive suspensions and Diversity Visa cases. That kind of counsel can quickly tell you whether a court is hearing similar cases and what facts matter most.

Important takeaway: preserving dated evidence and every written communication strengthens your position if litigation or emergency administrative relief becomes necessary.

What to monitor daily while the suspension is in place

The source lists several official channels that can change the situation quickly through guidance or implementation details. Watch for:

• DOS instructions that clarify whether previously issued immigrant visas remain valid for admission
• DHS and White House updates on how the proclamation will be applied, including any exceptions, waivers, or class-based rules
• News of lawsuits that could produce an injunction affecting DV processing or entry

Because the DV lottery program is time-sensitive, delays can do more than frustrate plans—they can eliminate a chance to immigrate if the window closes before processing resumes. That’s why the source stresses close monitoring “in the next days to weeks,” when agencies often publish the first clarifying instructions and when early court filings can land.

In the meantime, the most protective posture for most selectees is simple:

• Keep your case documents complete
• Keep your communications polite and in writing
• Don’t gamble on travel or irreversible life changes until the agency that controls your file confirms what the December 19, 2025 order means for your specific Diversity Visa (DV) lottery case