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January 14, 2026 at 22:05
I have been selected using my home country eligibility but now i live in canada. My newborn son is Canadian and was not born when we submitted lottery dv2026. since canadian are exempt from dv lottery i didnt add him to ds260 when filed.
My number is eu 30100.
What to do now?
January 14, 2026 at 22:39
You need to add the child to your DS260s and probably add a ds260 for the child.
January 14, 2026 at 19:56
Do you think if only the dv lottery pause gets lifted in a fairly reasonable time that it helps the chances of EU going current with these new 75 countries paused?
January 14, 2026 at 19:58
We will have to wait and see…
January 14, 2026 at 19:30
Hello, with the new updates with the 75 countries, do you think people doing adjustment of status who are already in the US will be affected or is it just for consular processing abroad?
January 14, 2026 at 19:32
Under the DV lottery pause, the AOS cases are already paused. I would not be surprised to see DHS/USCIS add a pause too…
January 14, 2026 at 19:09
On the recent memo about pause on immigration visa for nation with high risk of public benefit, Nepal was also listed. My interview is scheduled for today. I guess my luck has ran out. Changes for me got even thinner 😣
January 14, 2026 at 18:28
After DV pause, US Department of States introduces pause for all immigrant visa of 75 Countries. Impact is huge on DV selectees.
After security reasons for banning countries, they are adding risk of public charge
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/immigrant-visa-processing-updates-for-nationalities-at-high-risk-of-public-benefits-usage.html
January 14, 2026 at 19:32
https://britsimonsays.com/government-has-added-a-new-pause-to-all-immigration-from-75-countries/
January 14, 2026 at 18:22
Hello Simon,
Have you seen this post on X, from the State Department (5:40pm EST 1/14/26)?
“The State Department will pause immigrant visa processing from 75 countries whose migrants take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates. The freeze will remain active until the U.S. can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people.”
Apparently the 75 countries have not been listed yet.
January 14, 2026 at 19:32
https://britsimonsays.com/government-has-added-a-new-pause-to-all-immigration-from-75-countries/
January 14, 2026 at 17:08
Not a question, Simon, but I noticed that between about 5:00 and 6:00 PM EST, the February Visa Bulletin was taken down and replaced with ‘Coming Soon.’ However, when they republished it, there were no changes to the DV category compared to the version from two days ago.
January 14, 2026 at 19:34
Interesting!
January 14, 2026 at 16:33
This new pause refers to the list of countries whose citizens are temporarily unable to obtain an immigrant visa. Or does it also relate specifically to the DV lottery? Given this news, what is your opinion regarding the possibility of the DV lottery pause being lifted?
January 14, 2026 at 19:34
https://britsimonsays.com/government-has-added-a-new-pause-to-all-immigration-from-75-countries/
January 14, 2026 at 15:35
What the hell is hapenning!? Its getting crazy! with this recent update dv visa will go current but no one can get the visa!
January 14, 2026 at 14:49
Hi Brit
Is the recent travel restriction on Fiji also impacting DV lottery which will commence from Jan 21 . Im confused whether it is a ban or will the process continue under tighter scrutiny?
My number is current under the last two Visa Bulliten
January 14, 2026 at 15:47
Hi,
I am also from Fiji and my case number is current as well, I filled in my DS260 in early Dec, when did you file yours? My current visa status on CEAC, it shows “AT NVC,” and on the status check it also shows the case is still at KCC. How abt you?
January 14, 2026 at 17:33
There’s neither a travel restriction nor ban for Fiji citizens. A visa bond policy has been enforced beginning January 21st but that applies for B1/B2 non immigrant visa. I believe it’s one of those tourist or business tourism visas. It doesn’t affect DV visa. Besides the march bulletin shows a slight increase which means they are scheduling cases sooner or later.
January 14, 2026 at 19:33
Fiji is affected by the latest pause.
https://britsimonsays.com/government-has-added-a-new-pause-to-all-immigration-from-75-countries/
January 14, 2026 at 19:36
https://britsimonsays.com/government-has-added-a-new-pause-to-all-immigration-from-75-countries/
January 14, 2026 at 14:14
Hi Simon – thanks for answering my question on YouTube last Q&A. I’m the Aussie with a 26OC24XX case number who is weighing submitting a DS-260 in March vs. staying out to not mess up future immigrant intent questions for the E-3. I realize this has just been reported so still a lot of uncertainty, but I saw Fiji being mentioned in the latest travel ban supposedly beginning Jan 21. Given Fiji is ~34% of OC selectees for DV26, am I right in assuming should the travel ban go ahead and the DV pause is lifted soon that DV26 OC visa bulletin should go up quickly in the coming months (like Africa and especially Asia this year) which should in theory significantly improve my chances with my case number? Cheers for all the help
January 14, 2026 at 14:16
Sorry I meant to say Fiji is ~66% of OC selectees for DV26
January 14, 2026 at 14:19
And meant to say visa processing pause for Fiji not travel ban
January 14, 2026 at 19:31
It could improve your chances, yes. However, the interviews still take place under the pauses so it isn’t a clear cut open path to the winning line…
January 14, 2026 at 13:03
Do you think that dv lottery pause and this most recent pause on 75 countries are connected? Does it change your view on dv pause for countries NOT on the list, or you still think it will be taken down shortly
January 14, 2026 at 19:28
https://britsimonsays.com/government-has-added-a-new-pause-to-all-immigration-from-75-countries/
January 14, 2026 at 13:02
Trump banning NATO countries from getting immigration visas in 2026. The three countries (Europe): Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia.
Why stay in the alliance anymore if we can’t freely move to the USA?
January 14, 2026 at 12:45
Good Morning Simon
The following was announced this morning by President Donald Trump’s administration
75 countries to be suspended from all immigrant visas. The CNN news has covered this story, including the BBC news.
Could someone confirm the list that is circulating. The official news link is below
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/01/14/politics/us-suspending-immigrant-visa-processing-75-countries
January 14, 2026 at 19:28
https://britsimonsays.com/government-has-added-a-new-pause-to-all-immigration-from-75-countries/
January 14, 2026 at 12:23
Trump suspending visas for NATO countries as of 2026. I mean why bother stay in the alliance when I can’t even move there freely..? So sad.
Could this be legally opposed mr. Simon?
January 14, 2026 at 16:34
Maybe.
January 14, 2026 at 11:52
Hello Brit,
I am from Nepal and my DV1 visa was cancelled without prejudice on dec 21 due to Presidential Proclamation (Pause) , now that Nepal was included today on the list of Immigrant Visa Freeze, Is there still a hope for me? And how long do you think the freeze will last? Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.
January 14, 2026 at 16:34
You were impacted by a pause already, and now there is another pause – but we don’t have the details of the new pause.
January 14, 2026 at 11:38
Hello Mr. Simon,
I’ve read some recent articles saying that DHS has temporarily suspended or delayed immigrant visa processing for certain countries, including Albania.
Could you please clarify whether this situation affects Diversity Visa (DV Lottery) applicants from Albania and, if so, to what extent?
Thank you very much for your time.
January 14, 2026 at 11:50
As you know this is very recent news – so it isn’t reasonable to know all the details on something that has not been published yet.
January 14, 2026 at 13:27
“Albania is a friendly and allied country to the USA, and we do not deserve this. We are lawful winners of the DV-26 lottery, and all of this is causing us a lot of stress.”
January 14, 2026 at 19:29
There are a great many people affected by the governments animus – not just Albanians.
January 14, 2026 at 10:19
Hi
Is it true they are banning Egypt too? I have an interview coming up, I understand there is a pause but if it’s true , What does this mean for my spouse who is from Egypt?
January 14, 2026 at 11:49
There is reporting about a wider pause being introduced, which will focus on public charge concerns. However, we don’t have any official details on that yet, so wait for more information.
January 14, 2026 at 13:12
Hi Simon,
Do you mean there will be a more extension on the pause and not temporary as you had earlier stated?
January 14, 2026 at 19:29
https://britsimonsays.com/government-has-added-a-new-pause-to-all-immigration-from-75-countries/
January 14, 2026 at 09:57
Hi Brit,
I’d appreciate your view on my specific situation. I’m DV-2026, Europe, case number EU282xx, Russian citizen.
With the recent reports about possible visa restrictions or enhanced vetting for Russian nationals, do you see any realistic scenario where this could prevent a case like mine from being scheduled if my number becomes current? Or, as in previous years, would nationality mainly affect processing time (AP, delays) rather than whether the interview is scheduled at all?
Thanks in advance.
January 14, 2026 at 11:48
You have several risks. Your case number is not current yet, and may never get current. There is currently a pause on issuance of DV visas, and it looks like there could be a wider pause introduced. So could that all affect you – yes of course. Do I know exactly what will happen in the coming months – no.
January 14, 2026 at 08:31
Hi Simon, I understand that this year’s CEAC data is not as reliable as in previous years. However, could you explain why there are almost no African cases above 20k showing as Dark or Ready, even though the January Visa Bulletin reached 35k and many countries are banned? Is this also why the Visa Bulletin appears to have stalled at 45k in March? I’m trying to estimate my chances with a case number of AF713** in South Africa.
January 14, 2026 at 08:48
Well yes, the VB was ahead of capacity in most of the AF embassies – and that is why they did not *need* to raise the VB. However, it is also a matter of when the CEAC behavior change began. We first noted the CEAC system had been changed on November 12. If the embassies began updating the name/passport fields from that moment, then it applied to cases scheduled in November (January interviews) as well as the cases scheduled in December. That means those cases went dark before we extracted them for the first time on January 1, and they looked like holes from the beginning.
Your chances depend largely on which embassy you are assigned to, as well as VB progress.
January 14, 2026 at 08:31
Hi Simon,
I would like to let you know that you do encourage people when we’re almost losing hopes. Thanks for your positive words that keep telling us it should be a short pause.
My interview is scheduled in Feb, I know the result will be 221g. I can only wait 🙁
Anyways, thanks for the valuable information and do hope the pause can be lifted soon.
January 14, 2026 at 08:35
Best of luck!
January 14, 2026 at 07:06
Is it true that green card holders are now subject to stricter checks at airports (I mean not on the first entry)? Is it true that inspections have been tightened and that one needs to carry an employment contract, lease agreement, or other supporting documents to show ties to U.S., and that even if you have been outside the U.S. for less than six months, it can still be a problem?
January 14, 2026 at 08:21
Not true as far as I am aware.
January 14, 2026 at 04:12
Curtis mentioned that next week there may be an announcement about a possible class action lawsuit related to the DV-2026 pause. In your opinion, would such a lawsuit actually help the current situation for DV-2026 selectees, or is its impact likely to be limited?
January 14, 2026 at 08:26
As I have said numerous times, a lawsuit is unnecessary *IF* the pause is short – but Curtis believes the pause will be long.
January 14, 2026 at 02:28
Hello Dear Simon,
I have closely followed all your live sessions and found the information very satisfying and helpful.
I am from Ethiopia, Addis Ababa. My case number is AF28XXX. I have not yet received my 2NL. When I check my visa status on CEAC, it shows “AT NVC,” and on the status check it also shows the case is still at KCC.
I submitted my DS-260 on June 3. Is there anything I can do in the meantime? Could you please clarify what “AT NVC” means?
Thank you for your support.
Kind regards,
January 14, 2026 at 08:22
At NVC is the status for EVERY case not already scheduled.
Addis is scheduling cases, but there is a limit on the capacity they make available each month. So it might take time before they get to your case number. All you can do is remain patient.
January 13, 2026 at 19:02
Hello Simon. First of all, thank you for being our DV therapist this year. In a DV season so confusing that even CEAC seems confused, you’ve been the only source of sanity, because honestly, this year feels like visas might go to whoever has the strongest luck, prayers, and patience combined.
I’m seeking some clarity: for cases that have not yet been scheduled, CEAC clearly shows “At NVC,” which I understand means they are still awaiting interview scheduling. However, when I check three cases that are already scheduled for February interviews, CEAC returns the message “Your search did not return any data.”
What I don’t quite understand is why scheduled cases are showing this message.
Much appreciation and love from Kigali.
January 13, 2026 at 19:50
The change to CEAC is causing some cases to go “dark”. It’s as if they are holes. The change in CEAC is that once cases are scheduled, the embassy updates the name and passport number to the CEAC database – so that you can only check the status for that case if you know those two pieces of information. The passport number can sometimes be that of the principal, and sometimes one of the derivatives. That is why you get the no data message.
January 13, 2026 at 16:39
Hello simon
My case is eu217xx based on current situation will vb reach my case number
January 13, 2026 at 19:47
Well you have to wait and see, but most likely, yes.
January 13, 2026 at 13:32
Hi Mr. Brit Simon,
I am a DV Lottery winner from Azerbaijan and I am preparing for my interview in February. First of all, thank you very much for your help and support to everyone.
I have a few questions regarding the preparation process. I could not find a clear and exact list indicating which documents must be apostilled and which documents require notarized copies. Could you please advise which documents should be apostilled? Also, is it acceptable to apostille copies of documents, or must the original documents be apostilled?
Additionally, in some sections it is stated that documents should not be sent to KCC. However, in the section titled “Photocopy of Valid Passport Biographic Data Page,” there is a note saying: “Send a photocopy of your biographic data page to KCC.” Could you please clarify this point and advise what exactly should be sent to KCC?
Thank you in advance for your guidance
January 13, 2026 at 14:32
It is extremely important that you follow the instructions – and you clearly haven’t. From the main instructions there are embassy specific instructions (which is where it would say what needs to be apostilled), and also any document requirements are detailed on the reciprocity pages where the documents come from. Read the instructions. Three sets.
January 13, 2026 at 11:04
Hi,
I just got into the US with my DV, and at CBP at my first port of entry they only stamped today’s date and wrote my DV number on it. then I checked my bags for the next flight. Have I missed a step? should they have given me a temporary green card until I get the actual one?
I asked them if I should do anything and they told me to go claim my bags and nothing else, but I still feel like I missed a step.
January 13, 2026 at 12:02
Your temporary greencard is the stamped visa in your passport. So you didn’t miss anything. They took the envelope, right?
January 13, 2026 at 12:34
Yes they took it. They didn’t ask for no fingerprints, they only asked me to reconfirm my address and nothing else.
January 13, 2026 at 12:42
Then you are all set. BEST OF LUCK!
January 13, 2026 at 10:17
Hi Brit! 🙂
I love reading your motivational comments, like “There are still 6 months left,” etc.
However, I’m a bit scared that last year’s scenario might repeat itself. What do you think?
My case number is EU29XXX.
Please be honest — what’s your opinion about my chances?
January 13, 2026 at 11:38
Your number is certainly in a risky range, and all you can do is wait and see. There is time for the VB to move, but only time will tell.
January 13, 2026 at 12:28
Is EU25xxx any better in light of the recent VB? We would need a +15k movement within 6 months, which is +2500 per month. Do you see that as a realistic possibility? At what point does remaining embassy capacity become an issue?
January 13, 2026 at 12:44
That is certainly possible. Density in EU drops after 13k because of Uzbekistan. So faster VB movement in later months, especially for the busier months, is expected.
January 13, 2026 at 13:24
Thank you for quick reply sir. What is interesting also this year is that Uzbekistan was not limited at all in “Except” so far. Could this be part of the reason for slow VB movement in the early months? Or does this have no impact on EU VB progression? And what are the busy months?
January 13, 2026 at 14:30
No it’s the other way round. The VB movement for EU has been slow, so there is no need for the except for Uzbekistan. If the VB jumps for EU, then we might see the except for Uzbekistan. They don’t have Uzb selectees over 13k.
Busy months (ideally) are April, May, June etc. If they use those months well, then August and September don’t have to be a “rush”.
January 13, 2026 at 14:55
Thank you! 🍀I remember you mentioning that expectations for the EU were around 40K, If I understood you correctly, although that probably no longer applies. Still, that hope keeps me going.
January 13, 2026 at 16:02
Woah – I think you might have misunderstood. I never had “expectation” of EU reaching 40k. That would be very optimistic. You may have heard me mention we expected highest selected number in the late 40’s, which turned out to be accurate.
January 13, 2026 at 09:39
Hi Brit,
I’m interested in the Europe region. My case number is EU1500X and I’m a bit worried because Europe seems to have stalled around 11,000 due to the pause.
In your opinion, is there still some hope for cases like mine later on, or does this pause seriously reduce Europe’s chances this year?
I know nothing is certain, but I’d really appreciate your honest view.
January 13, 2026 at 10:01
There is no reason to believe they would not reach your number.
January 13, 2026 at 07:28
Hello sir!
I am DV2026 winner from Nepal and my case number is AS93** is there any hope to get scheduled for a interview in upcoming months and why they didn’t increase the Case number for Nepal on 12th January Visa bulletin.
January 13, 2026 at 09:01
Yes there is hope.
January 14, 2026 at 03:26
Why they didn’t increase in case number for Nepal in previous VB
January 14, 2026 at 08:23
They probably had enough cases to interview from the cases already current. We have 6 months of VBs left. Relax.
January 14, 2026 at 13:56
Does DV pause and and recent 75 countries pause related?
January 14, 2026 at 19:31
https://britsimonsays.com/government-has-added-a-new-pause-to-all-immigration-from-75-countries/
January 13, 2026 at 02:59
My green card arrived. However I never received my social security information. What should I do?
January 13, 2026 at 09:05
Contact the SSA to apply for an SSN.
January 13, 2026 at 13:17
When did you enter the US/activated your green card? and what date did they mail out your physical card if you don’t mind me asking. Just trying to see if they send out physical green cards after the dv pause was announced.
January 13, 2026 at 14:05
We had a similar situation: I received my SSN, but my husband didn’t. We waited for a while, but then realized we wouldn’t get it without contacting the Social Security Administration.
It took some time to get my husband’s SSN because walk-in service in this case wasn’t offered (California). We had to schedule an appointment, go back to submit the documents, and then wait for the SSN to arrive by mail. The process itself wasn’t complicated.
January 13, 2026 at 01:52
Hello Simon,
First of all, I really want to be as optimistic about the pause as you are, believe me.
But I really don’t see how I could be “99.9% sure”. They want to get rid of this visa-type, Kristi Noem pretty much said that when being asked about the pause (I know she’s not the boss, but she might be the one who said the quiet part out loud).
Now the bulletin has basically not moved. One of your biggest argument in favor of it being a short pause was, that the embassies were still scheduling, indicating they believe it is a short pause. Them being the ones dictating the Bulletin via their stated capacity indicates they might not believe that (anymore).
I would really appreciate if you could address this new situation and whether this changes anything on your view and if not, why not.
Thanks in advance and thanks for all you do!
January 13, 2026 at 08:57
OK – let’s look at the evidence.
When the pause started I was thinking it was temporary, because of the law, and the comments on Noem, Rubio etc. Simply the way it was described as a pause was important. The same people want to end DV, but they were careful to say “pause”.
Then the memo’s came out and both DoS and DHS confirmed it was a pause while a review takes place. The review can’t find anything significant, and let’s face it – it is obvious to a nine year old that DV is not a fast way for people with bad intentions attack the USA. The MIT/Brown incident itself is now clearly understood to be a personal grudge rather than terrorism.
Then there were other clues that I wanted to see.
The scheduling (which has continued up until now).
The embassy comments as they were interviewing and placing people on 221g. They are generally in the dark, but just following the instructions they were given to place the cases on 221g. No special insight has come from comments.
Then the VB came. The advantage of a frozen VB for the government is that it reduces the number of people that are affected by the pause. A pessimistic view of that would then say that is because they wanted to reduce the number of people who might sue them – because courts have generally held that people can’t complain about not being scheduled if they are not even current.
But the VB wasn’t totally frozen. It did have some movement in two regions and a country (OC and SA moved, as did Egypt). Although we don’t have really good backlog data now (because of CEAC), it is clear that the AF VB is above the capacity of most embassies. Asia is current already, so the only region that seemed like an increase was needed was EU.
So yes, my confidence level gets knocked a little because of EU not moving – but really – that is a small factor in an otherwise positive landscape toward the pause being just a pause.
I hope the detailed answer is helpful.
January 13, 2026 at 10:46
First of all thanks for that detailed explanation, I really appreciate you taking the time!
I would like to respond:
I feel like the core of the difference in opinion here is that you seem to believe that they are saying the truth, referring to them saying it is a pause and assuming that they will come to the same conclusion as you (the correct conclusion) that there is nothing wrong with the vetting.
I and many here are afraid, that calling this a “pause” might just be a front in order to harm the program, through stopping issuances and even interviews (the low EU-bulletin is an indication for that) until challenged or even further than that, possibly fighting it out in court and maybe even ignoring court orders afterwards, what ever level they might feel like going to.
My argument for that would be:
1. They do want to stop the program
2. They have no real incentive at least until challenged to lift the pause
3. The words they use, specifically calling it a “pause” may be a front
I’m sorry if you are annoyed by the constant questions regarding the pause, I hope this more detailed line of questions may be more intriguing for you to answer than the classic “do you think dv is done”.
PS: I would really love to see you and Curtis “debate” this, I think he sees it different than you and believe a discussion between you two might be very fruitful in understanding the current situation.
January 13, 2026 at 11:58
For all the debate, only time will tell, so all opinions are just that…
January 13, 2026 at 11:30
Hello Simon,
Thank you for the optimistic insight. I am glad there is movement in the VB especially for the OC region as it gives a clear indication that this pause will only be temporary and should be lifted sooner rather than later. Movement in the VB also gives me hope that visas are available for the lottery selected cases that have not received 2NL. Looking at the trend in the VB for the previous years I am hopeful that my number 17xx will be selected in the remaining months for the OC region.
What do you reckon, in your honest opinion?
January 13, 2026 at 12:08
There will be plenty of visas, so the only thing is that they continue to increase the VB and that the embassies make capacity available.
January 12, 2026 at 15:56
Hi Brit Thank you for all you do for us! I’m a DV26 selectee 2026AF359XX From Morocco currently in Italy on an EU Blue Card. My wife is still in Morocco and listed as accompanying and doesn’t yet have a right to enter Italy.
My Q is it possible/faster/safer to transfer my interview from CSB to NPL while my wife remains interviewed Morocco? Thank you and congrats for 100k
January 12, 2026 at 16:17
I would normally say to interview where you8 can BOTH be interviewed – which may mean CSB. But we don’t know if CSB will be taking cases. Because you are current, it may be too late to make such a change, but you could try. KCC might want proof that you are in the NPL area.
January 13, 2026 at 14:24
Thank you Mr Simon for your prompt response, I am lawfully new resident in Italy and I’ve already updated my DS based on that. But I want to know your POV of transferring my principal case to NPL and keep my spouse on ‘follow to join” in CSB. 🙂
January 13, 2026 at 14:27
Normally I would say that’s a bad idea. If she can interview with you, that would be better. But it’s your choice…
January 12, 2026 at 15:12
Since we already have 6 of the 12 visa bulletins and Europe is still only at 11,000, does that mean it’s game over for a case number like mine (EU356xx)? My embassy is Stockholm.
January 12, 2026 at 15:38
If only it were that simple to calculate. However, it is not that easy – month to month progress is NOT a good indication of final numbers. Having said that, your number has always been in a risky range, and it hasn’t got any better from the slow VB progress.
January 12, 2026 at 15:03
This Visa Bulletin looks like a disaster.
January 12, 2026 at 15:09
6 more to go.
January 12, 2026 at 15:49
I just hope they’re not intentionally stretching 11,000 across the next six bulletins — that would be almost diabolical. Perhaps Curtis’s lawsuit is the only real hope left.
January 12, 2026 at 16:18
I don’t think that is what they are doing.
January 12, 2026 at 11:32
Hi Brit!
I submitted Ds260 back in May and KCC confirmed it’s still not processed. What could be the reason and is there anything that can be done?
We are just a normal family, both parents working in IT, regularly traveling mostly Europe. Never been to middle east or similar. The kids are all students. Our case number is fairly high EU40xxx. I understand that may be the reason for not processing, but still worried if it ever gets current that the forms won’t be ready.
January 12, 2026 at 14:39
1. There is nothing you can do to force them to process your DS260s
2. Your number means you will wait a long time anyway, so I suggest you stop worrying about whether you have been processed or not.
January 12, 2026 at 09:53
Hello Brit,
I just wanted to ask if you still hold the same opinion about the possibility of a short pause, or if anything has changed recently based on the latest developments.
January 12, 2026 at 10:13
Nothing has changed.
January 12, 2026 at 06:56
Hi Brit,
I saw this comment on Quora: “Today I had my interview for a US visa. They kept my passport and said ‘have a nice trip’. Does it mean my visa was approved?”
In your experience, does this usually indicate approval, or can it still result in a refusal or 221(g)?
January 12, 2026 at 08:33
Nothing is guaranteed until a visa is in your hands…
January 12, 2026 at 04:48
Hello Simon,
I have lost all the hope I built over the past year. I am a DV-2025 winner with a high case number, and after checking the CEAC data, it turns out that the Casablanca Embassy has not conducted any interviews. I do not think this has happened before since the start of the DV Lottery. What is your interpretation of this? To me, it seems like a bad sign and the possible end of any remaining hope.
I love your content and your way of explaining this subject, Big up
January 12, 2026 at 07:51
Dv26
January 12, 2026 at 08:33
Well you say you are DV2025 – which ended, so perhaps you mean DV2026?
Since the change was made in CEAC, the data we have on each embassy is severely limited, so we only know the position as of January 1. I don’t know if CSB intends to start interviews soon, I suggest you make sure you are connected to Moroccan winners groups to get updates that way.
January 12, 2026 at 03:19
Hi simon i am dv winner from nepal and our interview was in dec 18, consular grant us visa and after few days we received our passport. But visa was cancelled and was stamped cancel without prejudice. Now in cecs our status is refused. Can you explain why this happened
January 12, 2026 at 08:30
This happened because of the pause.
https://britsimonsays.com/update-about-the-pause-suspension-of-the-dv-processing/
January 11, 2026 at 18:51
DV-2025 Winner, entered US early Dec 10th 2025. Still waiting for the physical green card (status still fee received), do you know if they stopped issuing/mailing the physical card due to DV suspension or cards are being produced as normal?
January 11, 2026 at 21:09
My understanding is that cards are not being sent out…
January 11, 2026 at 17:41
Hi Brit, I am a dv2026 winner. Having my family interview in about 6 weeks. How strict is the policy around meeting all vaccinations listed? My wife and me probably have all of them but our kids partially comply and our baby (1 yr) is not vaccinated at all. Is there a recommendation on how to avoid automatic rejection? Are they as concerned about the kids vaccination as for the parents? Thanks
January 11, 2026 at 21:07
Vaccinations are not optional.
January 12, 2026 at 00:54
I am also concerned about this issue, if someone knows please comment. Do we have to vaccinate all the listed vaccines at the time of the interview?
January 12, 2026 at 08:28
The physician will decide which vaccinations are required.
January 11, 2026 at 15:02
Do you think that, given everything happening globally right now — Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, Ukraine, Russia, Palestine, and other regions — it’s becoming less likely that anyone in the U.S. administration is even thinking about ending the Diversity Visa suspension?
January 11, 2026 at 15:42
I have said many times that DV is not as important as we tend to think it is…
January 11, 2026 at 15:59
Based on your previous comment, is it possible that the U.S. government might extend the DV visa suspension for a long period, perhaps over a year, simply because their attention is focused on global crises and DV is not considered a high-priority issue?
January 11, 2026 at 17:25
It is possible, but not likely, in my opinion.
January 11, 2026 at 18:49
If the decision were to extend the break, I would expect interviews to be paused as well. It’s hard to imagine applicants being charged the $330 fee if visas were not expected to be issued.
January 11, 2026 at 21:08
You understand that is what I have been saying, right?
January 11, 2026 at 10:02
Hi Simon,
I just needed some suggestion from you , my case number is
Case Number: 2026EU00139979 , should I perdure DS-260 ? Kindly help
Thanks
January 11, 2026 at 11:11
The reason for your high number is that you are a UK case (chargeable to the UK, probably born in the UK). You got selected because of my lawsuit.
However, EU cases other than the UK cases go up to about 48000. In most years the highest numbers would NOT get a chance. The only way that you could get a chance of an interview is if the EU region is marked as current. That is a very small possibility – not likely, but I can’t say it is impossible.
January 11, 2026 at 09:28
Hi Brit,
If ceac indicate your case at NVC how can you know whether your ds260 has finished process or it’s still processing.And is there a situation where your ds260 has been processed but the ceac will still show it at NVC when you check the status ?
Thank you
January 11, 2026 at 09:30
NVC will be shown to all cases that are not yet scheduled. ALL cases.
The only way to know whether your DS260 is processed or not is to email KCC.
January 11, 2026 at 06:41
Can someone say anything about Tokyo embassy’s efficiency during the pause
January 11, 2026 at 08:05
There is no data to answer that – and it is not a big embassy from a DV point of view, so very few will have any local information.
January 12, 2026 at 02:34
Hi Shinji,
I’m current for February and will be interviewing in Tokyo. Still waiting on 2NL but I could email the embassy and get a reply. They are accepting interviews as long as they have been assigned cases.
January 11, 2026 at 06:40
Hello Britsimon, Now there are many cases that have become dark in CEAC data as it was updated last time. Is that means even under pause conditions, they are scheduling interviews (still processing cases) ?
January 11, 2026 at 08:04
Yes. Everything is happening as normal except visa issuances.
January 11, 2026 at 13:22
Hi Simon
I sent a mail to the US embassy in Cameroon some few days ago
And this is the respond I got
Dear Applicant,
Thank you for contacting us regarding your Diversity Visa (DV) 2026 application and interview status.
Please be informed that the Department of State has paused all visa issuances to diversity immigrant visa applicants. This decision follows updated guidance issued on December 23, 2025, and is part of a comprehensive review of screening and vetting protocols in the DV program to ensure the highest standards of U.S. national security and public safety.
We understand that this update may cause inconvenience and uncertainty. For additional information, please refer to the official guidance at: Diversity. Visa Issuance Updated Guidance.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Sincerely,
This just got me more confused because before the pause was announce in December they have not issued or send out any 2NL since October that interviews began
I still haven’t recieve my 2NL yet even though my case is current.
January 11, 2026 at 14:07
That embassy has decided to not schedule cases up to now. I don’t know why.
January 11, 2026 at 02:54
I understand that you don’t want to make predictions. However, I wanted to ask: if a pause were to last around 3 months, would there still be some hope that case numbers around EU15,000 could eventually make it?
January 11, 2026 at 08:03
Yes
January 10, 2026 at 18:30
Goodmorning britsimon,am 2026 dv winner from Africa with case number Af31000 and seems my case should be current now but I have not yet received 2nl.Do I have to submit my civil documents to kcc before i get 2nl or just wait to submit once I get 2nl sent to me.thanks for updates.
January 10, 2026 at 18:47
You are probably waiting for embassy capacity. You don’t need to do anything unless they give you other instructions.