Federal Court Orders USCIS to Resume Adjudications for Diversity Visa Applicants
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has issued an official alert confirming that it will resume the adjudication of pending adjustment of status applications under the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, complying with an order issued by a federal district court. The judicial directive temporarily halts an administrative hold that had paused final green card decisions for lottery selectees residing within the United States.
According to the official notice published by USCIS, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued an order on August 28, 2026, in the lawsuit Medani, et al., v. Trump, et al. (Case No. 26-cv-6332). The court order temporarily vacated USCIS Policy Memorandum PM-602-0193, an internal directive issued in December that had instructed adjudicators to suspend final approvals on all pending Diversity Visa adjustment filings pending comprehensive security reviews.
Under the terms of the court's preliminary injunction, USCIS is ordered, "to the extent practicable and in good faith, to take all reasonable steps during the remainder of the Diversity Visa fiscal year to resume ordinary adjudication of plaintiffs’ pending adjustment of status applications without applying" the vacated policy memorandum.
The federal court also granted in part the plaintiffs' motion for class certification. The court established a certified subclass consisting of all selectees and derivative beneficiaries under the FY 2026 Diversity Visa Program who have been subjected to the administrative hold imposed by the policy memorandum.
In its official public statement, USCIS stated that while the agency strongly disagrees with the court's order, it will comply with the terms of the injunction pending further judicial review or appeal. The agency indicated that adjudicators will proceed with case processing for affected class members during the final weeks of the fiscal year.
What's Next / Context
The court order addresses a critical legal battle stemming from administrative freezes imposed on the green card lottery program earlier in the year. Unlike family or employment-based applicants who can navigate backlogged priority dates across multiple fiscal years, Diversity Visa applicants face an absolute statutory deadline: under Section 204 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, diversity visas expire permanently if not issued before midnight on September 30. The resumption of ordinary processing provides an essential window for pending applicants to complete background verifications and adjustment interviews before annual allocations expire, though legal representatives continue to monitor local field office compliance.
