A court has ordered the Trump administration to reinstate the 2027 Green Card Lottery, reversing the government's attempt to end the draw, Courthouse News reports.

The order concerns the Diversity Visa programme for the 2027 fiscal year. The administration had moved to shut the lottery down. A judge has now directed it to restore the 2027 draw.

What does the ruling change?

The ruling restores the 2027 Green Card Lottery. The administration must run the draw it had sought to cancel. Applicants who would have entered the 2027 lottery regain a path to submit entries, pending any further court action or appeal.

The decision binds the executive branch. It does not by itself change immigration law. Congress created the Diversity Visa programme, and only Congress can repeal it outright.

Who is affected?

The order affects prospective entrants to the 2027 Diversity Visa draw. Entrants selected in the lottery apply for lawful permanent residence — the Green Card — through the standard consular or adjustment process.

The Diversity Visa programme issues up to 55,000 immigrant visas per fiscal year under the statutory cap set by Congress. The 2027 draw covers visas for that fiscal year, which begins on October 1, 2026.

What happens next?

The administration must comply with the order or challenge it on appeal. Litigation over the programme's future may continue in higher courts. Entrants should treat the 2027 draw as restored only while the order stands.

Official entry instructions, eligibility lists and registration windows for the 2027 lottery will come from the U.S. State Department, which administers the draw. The department publishes entry requirements and dates for each lottery year at travel.state.gov.

Why it matters

The order settles, for now, whether the 2027 lottery will exist. It does not settle whether the programme survives beyond 2027. That question rests with the courts and with Congress.

Prospective entrants should watch the State Department's official lottery portal for the 2027 entry period and rules. The court order, not agency announcements, is the current legal basis for the draw.

The 2027 lottery will run because a judge said it must.

This article reports a court order and does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official State Department lottery pages and qualified immigration counsel for individual cases.