- Judge Davila certified nationwide classes for FY-2026 Diversity Visa selectees and derivative family members.
- The order covers cases stalled by a USCIS hold and two State Department pauses, including the 75-country pause.
- Applicants may resume processing, but visas must still be issued by September 30, 2026.
U.S. District Judge Edward J. Davila certified nationwide classes on August 28, 2026, covering all affected FY-2026 Diversity Visa selectees and their derivative family members in Medani v. Trump. The order reaches applicants stalled by challenged federal visa-hold policies, not only the people who filed the original lawsuit.
Davila, of the Northern District of California, entered the certification order as the case continued. The ruling broadens the pool of applicants entitled to seek processing under the court’s relief.
The certified groups include selectees and derivative beneficiaries affected by three separate measures. They cover a USCIS hold, two State Department pauses, and cases held under each policy.
USCIS later confirmed that the court temporarily vacated Policy Memorandum PM-602-0193 pending further litigation. State Department guidance tied compliance to August 28, 2026.
Covered applicants regain an opportunity to have their cases processed under ordinary Diversity Visa procedures. The order does not guarantee that a visa will be issued.
Three pauses define who falls inside the certified classes
| Certified subclass | People covered |
|---|---|
| USCIS DV Hold | Selectees and derivatives subject to the hold imposed by Policy Memorandum PM-602-0193 |
| Department of State DV Pause | Selectees and derivatives subject to the department’s pause |
| Department of State 75-Country Pause | Selectees and derivatives subject to the 75-country pause |
The certification applies nationwide. It therefore extends relief to similarly situated cases that were delayed by the challenged measures, rather than limiting the order to the named plaintiffs.
The order reopens processing but cannot stop the fiscal-year clock
FY-2026 Diversity Visa eligibility ends on September 30, 2026. Visas not issued by that date are lost, and derivative spouses and children lose eligibility on the same date.
That deadline remains fixed. The court order creates a legal path back into processing for covered selectees, but it does not extend the statutory DV-2026 deadline.
The timing leaves agencies and applicants working within the remainder of the fiscal year. Processing must lead to visa issuance before the deadline for the relief to produce an immigrant visa.
Before this ruling, relief in related Diversity Visa litigation had generally been narrower and often connected only to named plaintiffs. The certification changes the reach of the case.
It now protects an entire class of affected applicants and their derivatives while the lawsuit proceeds. The government must resume processing for covered cases under the court’s order, subject to the continuing litigation.
The certified classes include people affected by both USCIS and State Department actions. Their cases share the same final date: September 30, 2026.
