US court blocks reopening of 2027 Green Card lottery
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Kenyans.co.ke
The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has suspended an order requiring the reopening of registration for the 2027 US Green Card lottery. The decision blocks the timetable due to start on 1 November 2026 and leaves applicants waiting, according to Kenyans.co.ke.
The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on Thursday 29 October suspended an order requiring the government to reopen registration for the 2027 Green Card lottery. The court’s decision leaves the registration timetable for applicants, including thousands of Kenyans, in limbo, Kenyans.co.ke reports.
The court said that the law firm Red Eagle, which brought the case, had not shown that its financial interests fell within the scope of the law governing the lottery or that it had standing to sue. It granted the US government’s request to stay the injunction pending consideration of the appeal.
On 14 October, a federal judge had ordered the State Department to reopen the programme and set deadlines for announcing registration dates. The firm filed the case in August 2026, accusing US President Donald Trump’s administration of unlawfully suspending the programme.
The lottery makes up to 55,000 visas available each year to people from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States. Selection is random, but winners must still meet immigration requirements to obtain a visa.
