People waiting for a U.S. Green Card are facing fresh uncertainty after the Trump administration decided to suspend the Green Card lottery, officially known as the Diversity Visa (DV) program. The move has dashed the hopes of thousands of applicants who have been waiting for years in the system, expecting an opportunity for permanent residency in the United States.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the decision through a post on X, stating that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has been directed to halt the program. The decision follows a recent shooting incident at Brown University, in which two people were killed and several others injured. The administration believes the accused, a Portuguese national, entered the U.S. through the Green Card program, raising concerns over national security.
The Diversity Visa program selects around 55,000 applicants every year from countries with lower rates of immigration to the U.S. The State Department oversees the program under the Immigration and Nationality Act. A Green Card allows individuals to live and work permanently in the U.S. and become eligible to apply for citizenship after six to seven years, making it one of the most sought-after immigration pathways.
The suspension of the lottery has come as a major setback for lakhs of applicants worldwide, many of whom have already spent 10 to 20 years waiting in the process. However, the administration has clarified that the Green Card system itself has not been completely abolished. While the lottery mechanism is being suspended, the U.S. government has not yet announced how Green Cards will be issued in the future.