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August 21, 2026 at 05:57
Hi Simon,
I am a DV-2026 selectee from Spain. My interview at the U.S. Embassy in Madrid is scheduled for September 2026. I am the principal applicant and we are a family of four.
I am very concerned about the current DV issuance pause. If we attend our interview, are found fully eligible, and our case is placed in 221(g) or otherwise held because visas cannot currently be issued, what should we do immediately?
Would we potentially be covered by the current DV-2026 litigation, such as Medani v. Trump, even if we are not plaintiffs?
Is there any action we should take before or immediately after our interview to preserve our rights, especially given that September 30 is so close?
We are trying to decide how to proceed.
Thank you very much for any guidance.
August 21, 2026 at 09:28
You might be covered by the Medani case *IF* it gets the class certified. There is a hearing on August 27th, so we might get a sense of how the Judge is leaning at that hearing. So – maybe you will know something before your interview.
August 20, 2026 at 23:09
Dear Mr. Simon,
I hope you are doing well.
I would like to ask for your advice regarding my DV case. I have joined the Medani v. Trump group lawsuit, and my medical examination expired on August 13, 2026.
I contacted the U.S. Embassy to request permission to renew my medical examination, and they approved my request. I also understand that the hearing for Medani is currently scheduled for August 27, 2026.
Therefore, I am planning to renew my medical examination on August 25, 2026. In your opinion, would it be better for me to proceed with the renewal on August 25, or should I wait until after the August 27 hearing?
I would greatly appreciate your advice on which option would be more appropriate in my situation.
Thank you very much for your time and guidance.
August 20, 2026 at 23:16
No need to overthink it. Just pick a date l.
August 21, 2026 at 02:20
Yes, my idol! So, I’ve already made an appointment with the doctor for August 25th.
August 20, 2026 at 14:53
I am a bit confused about DV27: Many people (also here) say that they have to start the entry period for DV27 soon because – by law – the entry period has to be at least 30 days. I don’t understand why the fact that the entry period has to be at least 30 days seems to imply that it has to start soon. Is it not legally possible that they, for example, have a 30 day entry period for DV27 in January 27 and then announce the winners and allocate the interviews between January 27 and September 27? Of course, this is practically difficult because it is such a short period of time, but is it legally forbidden? Is there a law saying the entry period has to be over before the fiscal year for the lottery starts?
August 20, 2026 at 15:33
according to 22 CFR 42.33(b)(4) it is legally forbidden,
“The Department will establish a period of not less than thirty days during each fiscal year within which aliens may submit petitions for approval of eligibility to apply for visa issuance during the following fiscal year” this fiscal year is 26 which ends sept 30th, following fiscal year is 27
August 20, 2026 at 16:06
As P123 points out – the CFR wording calls out a 30 day period that covers the following fiscal year. So – that is why everyone is connecting those dots.
August 21, 2026 at 07:15
Thank you for pointing this out, I didn’t know that. And are they legally required to announce this period in public or do they just have to establish it (possibly internally)? Maybe they established this 30-day time period long ago (as the law requires), but have just never announced it in public? That’s exactly how my boss is doing it when he wants to hire new people (he is doing it this way to make sure that only the people apply who he likes and who he has told privately about the established time period; although in my country he is required by law to establish a time period where people can apply for new job openings with the clear political intention that everyone can apply).
August 21, 2026 at 09:29
No – they have not started it.
August 20, 2026 at 14:10
Has this been the most unpredictable dv year yet in your opinion?
August 20, 2026 at 16:04
Probably.
August 20, 2026 at 12:00
Hi Sir,
I am a plaintiff and would like to ask for your advice regarding our medical examinations. My family’s and my medical exams have expired, and we have only 40 days left until September 30, 2026.
We do not know if this pause will be lifted, nor do we have any idea about the outcome of our litigation. I would appreciate your guidance on one specific point:
Should I schedule an appointment to renew our medical exams in the first week of September? Would this be a good precautionary measure to avoid any last-minute rush or panic in case the pause is lifted or we win the case?
Please advise.
August 20, 2026 at 13:56
Some physicians are allowing renewal of the medicals and some are not – so that is the first thing to consider.
From there, it really is your decision, but if it were me I would at least try and book an appointment for early/mid September (depending on how long the physician needs to produce the report).
August 20, 2026 at 05:16
Is there any hope that the 2028 US Diversity Visa Lottery will open in October, or is the State Department not obligated to do so
Thank you
August 20, 2026 at 09:21
They haven’t run DV2027 yet – so we will see.
August 20, 2026 at 02:18
Could the judgment in the Ivanov case already be ready, but just not published yet? Or is it possible that it has not been finished yet, or even that work on it has not started?
What causes such a long wait? Once the judge finishes the judgment, is it simply uploaded to the system, or does the court staff have to do a lot of work before it can be published, even if the judgment is already ready?
August 20, 2026 at 09:21
LOL – no. The Judge has not published the decision yet. The decision needs to be legally sound, and fully justified in an order that is taking the time.
August 19, 2026 at 21:30
10 days left to august there be a must be 30 days entry period but dhs has no announced DV 2027 it against laws if they didn’t announced DV 2027 and must run 30 days what going on foreign minister didn’t have to right to pause DV lottery
August 20, 2026 at 09:19
Yep – I am watching!
August 19, 2026 at 14:47
hi uncle simon, why didn’t you go live on the weekend? you are the highlight of my weekend and I was really sad uncle simon didn’t go live 🙁
August 20, 2026 at 09:19
I was travelling – so I took the weekend off. I did announce it to subscribers!
August 18, 2026 at 21:20
Probably when will be new visa bulltin update I am waiting to see DV 2027 Oct interview
August 19, 2026 at 00:06
I expect by the end of this week.
August 19, 2026 at 09:25
Hello Mr. Simon, do you think that we will have back to back DV entry periods since its expected that DV-2027 will get a Septemper entry period and DV-2028 registration would normally be this October?
August 19, 2026 at 12:29
I really don’t know. We have to wait to see what happens, and perhaps the lawsuit that Curtis just filed could affect that…
August 18, 2026 at 19:41
Hi Simon,
Question about address. My current address has changed since filing the ds-260 and I have an interview in early September. As the form is now at the consulate, should I email there to update my new adress prior to the interview? I have got my medical ect done and all new documents reflect current address.
Thank you for your help!
August 18, 2026 at 20:54
Just update it at the interview.
August 18, 2026 at 18:39
Doesn’t the situation honestly look VERY difficult at this point? It’s August 19, and for people whose embassies are closed or who need to repeat their medical exams, the chances seem incredibly slim. There’s simply so little time left. there are queues, processing times, and, on top of all that, waiting for a 2NL.
And the 2NL might not even come, because if the court issues an order for “re-adjudication,” as it did in previous years, then only people who already have 221(g) cases would potentially be covered.
Simon, do you really not think the situation this year looks absolutely terrible for people who haven’t had their interviews yet? The lawsuits don’t even seem to address this issue.
I honestly feel really awful about the situation.
August 18, 2026 at 20:53
I’m not sure what good it does to judge it as “awful”. It is what it is. now we have to see what happens…
August 18, 2026 at 14:04
1. If for any reason registration period for DV2027 were not to happen in FY26, then they get sued, then can they be ordered to hold it in FY27 or is that against the rules as it has to be in the preceding Financial Year.
2. I emailed Curtis on being a plaintiff for DV27 then backed out when it looked like it entailed having my name out on public forever saying that I sued Rubio which is a bad look as visa holder and job seeker, then he said it is looking unlikely that we have DV27, is that his way of pushing me to become a plaintiff
3. is it possible I could be responsible for DV27 not happening by declining being a plaintiff, as he only wants SoCal based and I could be the only one he finds
August 18, 2026 at 14:28
1. I don’t know what would happen.
2. I used my daughter’s name when I sued for auK winners. So in my opinion your fear is unfounded.
3. If you meet the criteria and you are also in the right area, you should be the named plaintiff. It would be a good thing for many people.
August 18, 2026 at 04:21
Hi Brit, I desperately need your guidance on my DV-2026 case — I’m completely stuck between Riyadh, India, and KCC.
I’m an Indian citizen and Saudi resident. My DV-2026 interview was scheduled at the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh for April but it was cancelled due to the suspension of embassy services.
Since then, I’ve been trying to transfer my case to India, but I’m being sent in circles:
Riyadh → India → Riyadh → KCC → back to nowhere
Riyadh tells me to contact India for the transfer. India says they cannot find my profile because my case is still with Riyadh. Riyadh then tells me to contact KCC/NVC. KCC now says that because my interview was already scheduled and the date has passed, they can no longer unlock my application.
I’ve been trying to solve this for almost two months, and I’m terrified that I’ll lose my DV-2026 opportunity simply because I cannot get either embassy to take ownership of the transfer.
What can I do at this point? Who can actually authorize the transfer from Riyadh to India?
I would be incredibly grateful if you could point me in the right direction.
Thank you
August 18, 2026 at 08:58
I don’t know the “right direction” – because this is not normal. Riyadh has your case, but I don’t know whether there are staff there. You just have to keep trying. Good luck
August 17, 2026 at 14:58
Hi Simon
I am OC18xx and have just completed my medical. The doctor interesting said that all of the people she has seen so far have the interview on the same day at the beginning of September at the Auckland consulate. I am assuming this is just a scheduling choice on their part but do you think it could have any correlation to a potential pause lift? It doesn’t look like it’ll be taken down without a lawsuit win but I was just curious for your thoughts.
Thank you again for all of your help throughout this time and I hope you had a lovely weekend away!
August 17, 2026 at 20:04
No correlation.
August 17, 2026 at 14:57
Hi Mr. Simon,
I am from Nepal, my medial is expiring on end of Aug and I am one of the plaintiff of REL 2.0. I have checked with the medical center and they confirmed that I can schedule my re-medial for which embassy approval doesn’t required, but my concern is we haven’t received any verdict even from the first lawsuit. So, just worried about spending more money. Hence, what you suggest in such scenario.
August 17, 2026 at 20:04
You know as much as I do, and you know your situation. You can decide what to do.
August 18, 2026 at 01:14
What did you provide to medical centre when they approved renewing of a medical? Mine renewal was declined
August 17, 2026 at 14:42
Someone earlier wrote that the Belgrade embassy is currently stuck at 22k because of the dv pause.
is it practically impossible for the embassy to schedule as far as 46k at this point, even if the pause gets lifted? do the embassies always send the 2nls in numerical order even if its current? would contacting the kcc have any impact? thanks.
August 17, 2026 at 20:02
You would like some certainty of course, but I can’t say anything except wait and see…
August 17, 2026 at 08:37
Hi Brit, appreciate all you do for us !
Me and my wife are EU5k , interview done already in January and we are also IMMPACT plaintiffs, medical expired in July.
My biggest concern is that even if the visas get unpause we will not manage to renew our medical due to not enough slots in medical centre.
Do you think that contacting an embassy and asking then for some proove to renew it before it is unpaused is a good idea? We would like to at least book an appointment for renewing the medical.
I’m worried that even if they unpause it we will end up with no visas issued just because of a medical that expired due to the pause took so long and all the money time and efford will end up in trash
Thnk you
August 17, 2026 at 09:01
Yes you can ask the physician to book an appointment. They might say yes.
August 17, 2026 at 09:28
Thank you for your reply, I already ask the physician and they declined to book an appointment, they say I need to receive a request from an embassy and I thought I can ask embassy if they give me that request do you think it may work? Or maybe contact couple more physicians ?
Thank you
August 17, 2026 at 13:48
You can only use the approved physicians. So now you must wait.
August 17, 2026 at 04:54
Dear Simon,
I’ve just received an email from this address “[email protected]” mailed by “amazonses.com”. I believe this is a fake email and I am surprised they have my email and case number and embassy to begin with. The email doesn’t end with “.gov” which is a big tell, but may be helpful to warm others not to fall for this trick on your next live.
The actual email is below:
“Dear U.S. Immigrant Visa Applicant,
The Immigrant Visa Unit at the Consular Section in *my embassy location* encourages all immigrant visa applicants to register their appointment before attending the scheduled visa interview.
You are receiving this email message because our records show that you have not completed the registration process. To complete registration, please click on the following link https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-gb/iv/account.
Your case number is: *my actual case number* When registering, enter your case number exactly as it is displayed.
Do not create multiple accounts using the same case number when registering your appointment. Visa dependents should be added to the principal applicant account.
If you do not complete this process prior to your interview, it may cause delays in the processing of your application.
Sincerely,
GDIT Visa Information Services”
August 17, 2026 at 08:30
Sorry to jump in here. I also do wonder Simon’s response on this one but from the country I am present at, I received an email for my interview scheduled from a similar sender with only its email domain being not @usvisa-info.com but @usvisascheduling.com. I believe the email domain might be different for each country since each visa scheduling services websites for embassies might differ. Also with not being 100% sure, this email might not be a tricky one bc embassy emails do have .gov domain but as far as I observed their visa scheduling services don’t. In my case, Embassy asks me to literally create an account from usvisascheduling.com and register for my interview there as well and the visa scheduling website in my country (usvisascheduling.com) and the domain of this “do-not-reply” email I received aligned. After I registered for my interview on Embassy’s visa scheduling services website (usvisascheduling.com) – as the Embassy itself recommended in one of their emails – I received my interview confirmation email from this same domain as well (usvisascheduling.com) which does not contain .gov extension. So if usvisa-info.com is the website for visa scheduling activites advised by the Embassy in your country then it might be possible that it is not a trick and you can confirm it by checking your interview registration from the recommended visa scheduling website by your Embassy. You probably already know but AmazonSes is just an automated amazon simple email service that they are working with so it could be fine.
By saying that, if the domain for visa scheduling services all around the world is unique and it is our one and only “usvisascheduling.com” and do not vary for each country then please ignore my consideration above and it’s 100% a trick then. I presumed it might be different for each embassy so… Maybe receiving a similar email from usvisascheduling.com might be tricky as well so I also do wonder Simon’s idea and response on this one.
August 17, 2026 at 09:00
These emails are genuine. You are required to create an account in relation to the scheduled interview.
August 17, 2026 at 03:26
Hi Simon
We are in OC and have put our DS260 in, our number is under 2000. I’d like to know, is there a lawsuit we can join so that we’re protected with the ban?
And…have you got any info on how OC are travelling with the next step after the DS260 is submitted? (We’re in Sydney, Australia) I know you can’t predict when the next step happens timing wise but you may have intel!
Appreciate everything you do!
August 17, 2026 at 08:58
I don’t think there are any lawsuits available, but keep an open out for a late TRO by one of the credible lawyers.
I don’t have food embassy info. Without the lawsuits, there would be no further scheduling by this point.
August 16, 2026 at 12:36
Hello simon, im born in italy and have nationality and my ethnicity is bangladeshi and i now live in the uk, i gave in my italian passport for renewal about 7 months ago and now i just received it but i am going to bangladesh in january so i need to give in my passport again to get my visa to travel to bangladesh, do i need to have the physical passport with me when applying for dv 27 if it opens or can i just take a photo of it and fill in the details
August 16, 2026 at 18:33
Just the photo.
August 16, 2026 at 12:23
Hi Simon,
I’m asking this question believing the law suits will end up soon with a positive result.
I’m currently living in Toronto. I want to know if everything goes well and our visas get issued, Can I cross the border to USA and return back to Canada after 2,3 days? Because I don’t want to wait 3/4 weeks in Canada until resigned. I want to cross the border, get everything confirmed and come back to resign.
Thank you for helping us.
August 16, 2026 at 18:31
Yes that’s fine.
August 16, 2026 at 19:26
Thanks Simon. One more thing to confirm, Can we cross the border from the land with the stamped visa and return back to Canada like via driving?
August 17, 2026 at 08:52
Yes
August 16, 2026 at 12:18
Hi Simon,
Does my sponsor fill in and sign form i-134 then scan and send it to me + the supporting documents? Or is the sponsor expected to first file it with USCIS before I can rely on it?
Also, my sponsor mentioned that they had filed for an extension to file their tax return. She wonders if that would be a problem or the extension + the most recent return can work well. Would this be an issue for me?
Thank you.
Kind regards
August 16, 2026 at 18:30
They scan it and send it to you with supporting documents.
They should have the return for last year.
August 16, 2026 at 05:16
As of today, the U.S. Embassy in Albania has scheduled cases only up to approximately CN 12,000.
If our lawsuit is successful, how high do you think the case numbers could go? What is your estimate for the highest CN that might receive a visa?
August 16, 2026 at 18:29
I don’t know.
August 16, 2026 at 22:39
Hello Simon, I am a young man from Albania, and I am waiting for an interview along with my wife; our case number is 18,000. Do you think there is any hope of getting an interview date? Thank you very much.
August 17, 2026 at 08:52
I don’t know
August 14, 2026 at 23:06
Oct visa bulletin will they release for dv27 in August it already 14 aug
August 15, 2026 at 09:02
I’m waiting to see!!
August 14, 2026 at 21:56
Hello Simon, as an Iranian-Canadian, I have been in AP since my interview last November. Today, I noticed that my case last-updated date changed. Can it be related to my AP status in any way?
August 14, 2026 at 22:08
No. It’s best to ignore the updates.
August 14, 2026 at 13:46
234 days since suspension. 152 days since lawsuit was filed. The gov have won with ease.
Another week gone. Still no judgement. This is astonishing.
August 14, 2026 at 18:38
If you don’t have a valid medical exam, the clinics don’t want to schedule you for one, you haven’t had your interview, you have a high number, the embassies are generally closed, or your medical exam expires too close to the end of the visa year, then yes, it’s probably over for you.
But remember, not everyone is in that situation. 7,000 visas issued after September 5 is a significant number.
August 16, 2026 at 12:26
I hope that there’s still some way to redo your medical when it expires.
If embassy gives you some guidelines to do the medical again. It doesn’t make sence that people who were first with the lowest numbers will end up with no visas issued only because of a medical exam which expired due to pause which took too long
August 14, 2026 at 13:43
Hi Simon,
What form should my financial sponsor fill in, Form I-864 or Form I-134? I have my interview scheduled at the Germany consulate.
August 14, 2026 at 18:12
I134.
August 14, 2026 at 12:06
Hi Simon, I’ve received a letter from embassy where they let you know what to bring to the interview and I was shocked that they asked me to bring both Lithuania and UK police certificates, I’ve spent 2 summers in UK, so nowhere close 1 year and I’ve read that it can take 30 working days to get it there. Should I even continue with my medical and interview after receiving such news or should I contact the embassy and try to convince them that I don’t need UK police certificate based on their 1 year rule? lol
Also, what does it mean when they ask to mail notarized document I-134? Is it not enough to just simply sign that form yourself and you need to go to the notary office?
August 14, 2026 at 14:04
On the UK police certificate specifically, worth noting that ACRO offers an (expensive) option to expedite the process. The normal certificate costs £70 and takes 30 days to process. The expedited certificate costs £125 and takes 2 days to process. Shipping to the UK is included, but international shipping costs another £48.
In total, we had to pay £346 for ours. 😭 On the bright side, they were both quick! We ordered them on the afternoon of Friday, June 19th, they were shipped on the morning of Tuesday, June 23rd, and they arrived here in Colombia on the morning of Thursday, June 25th. The email said shipping could take up to 20 days, but it only took 2.
The email also said that shipping to Europe can take up to 15 working days, so I would hurry. It may be as quick as ours, but no guarantees.
August 14, 2026 at 17:29
The expedited service has been suspended as of August,2026.
August 14, 2026 at 18:11
You have to decide for yourself what to do about police certs. Personally, I would order them, but you could hope to show that you don’t need them. Your decision.
The I134 doesn’t normally need to be notarized. But again, you need to decide.
August 15, 2026 at 08:27
Thank you guys for your replies. Regarding police certs what makes it super confusing when in that email they write “Each applicant aged 16 years or older must submit police certificates from all countries where he/she has resided more than a year.”, then we have this DV instructions page with the same info about one year rule if you currently don’t live there. But when I go to UK reciprocity page the rule is suddenly like this: “Submit a U.K. police certificate if you are over the age of 16 and have lived in U.K. for six months or longer. If you are under 16, you don’t have to submit one.” Now which rule is superior here?
August 15, 2026 at 09:05
It’s not confusing at all. The main instructions (if you are selected page) has a table that describes the rules. Follow that.
However, also understand that the CO can ask for a cert if they need to. So. Stop questioning things and take action, OR decide not to do so.
August 14, 2026 at 05:59
Uncle Simon,
I have everything for the interview except the Police Certificate from Mexico where I have lived for over a year. This is because their portal was broken. Then they told me it would be 72 hours to process and it has turned out to be much, much longer than that. They have assured me that it is now printed and ready to be picked up tomorrow, the thing is it also has to be given the seal that means it is certified etc. which won’t be done until Monday. My problem is I am in New Zealand and my wife is flying to New Zealand from Mexico on Sunday to do her medical and be here for the interview on the 4th.
The Embassy said in their appointment email if we didn’t have all documents to them by the 21st our interview would be cancelled. This is the only document we don’t have and the best (also most expensive international couriers) said they would not get it to New Zealand until the 24th.
Do I need to fly to Mexico and back to get this piece of paper to stop our interview from being cancelled or would the Auckland Embassy accept one item being a day late?
Sorry, it’s just after thousands of dollars so far and years of trying it would break our hearts to not get over the line because of this one piece of paper which we’ve been trying to get for some time now.
August 14, 2026 at 09:01
It’s only the embassy that can answer this with certainty, and even then, it is only the CO that decides. But in normal cases one missing document simply means 221g while that document is provided.
August 14, 2026 at 12:39
Unfortunately, as Simon mentioned, it is down to the discretion of the Consular Officer, so we cannot give you a definitive answer.
However, just as a data point, we had a similar issue at our interview in Bogotá last week. Colombian police certificates for foreign nationals do not include the applicant’s full name, which is a requirement for the US to accept it. I didn’t know this until two days before our interview (inconsistent instructions), so I applied for a new one and found out that the process for foreigners takes up to a month! I had to go to the interview with the incomplete document and explain that, while I had applied for the correct one, it hadn’t arrived in time. The officer was very gracious. He explained that, as we were already in 221(g) for the DV pause, we could just send the certificate to him if/when the pause is lifted and once we have received it.
August 14, 2026 at 05:54
Hello everyone,
Just wanted to share an update regarding DV-2026 scheduling in Belgrade.
We contacted the Embassy about our case (EU44k), and they replied that KCC has already closed September scheduling and that Belgrade cannot provide capacity for additional cases. Their September cases currently go only up to EU22244.
August 14, 2026 at 08:59
Yep – that isn’t surprising. The hope now is for the pause to come down and the embassies take some additional cases, but there would be a lot of cases between the 22k and your number, so that means it might be over for you.
August 17, 2026 at 11:09
is it practically impossible for the embassy to schedule as far as 46k at this point, even if the pause gets lifted? do the embassies always send the 2nls in numerical order even if its current? would contacting the kcc have any impact? thanks.
August 14, 2026 at 02:38
Hi Simon, I’m EU41K, Azerbaijani national living in Warsaw, Poland. My DV interview was transferred to U.S. Embassy Warsaw by KCC. When I contacted the embassy, they said “no availability to schedule DV interviews at this time.”
Do you know if Warsaw is scheduling September DV interviews? And what’s the highest EU case number that received a 2NL from Warsaw so far?
August 14, 2026 at 08:57
I don’t have accurate data. In reality September 2NLs should have been arranged by now, so the hope now is for the pause to come down and the embassies take some additional cases – but of course you are at risk.
August 14, 2026 at 09:05
Murad – Warsaw has stopped scheduling interviews. The last interviews took place in June, and they only interviewed cases up to EU20K.
August 14, 2026 at 13:23
😕
August 13, 2026 at 21:05
Curtis just tweeted on X about this post what that mean entry peyis going to announced or
Only 2 weeks left for @SecRubio to announce Diversity Visa program entry dates for FY-2027, but crickets.
Note: Failure to implement program will cut off lawful immigration paths for dozens of @Israel citizens. Why does Rubio hate Israel so much?
August 13, 2026 at 22:47
JFC. That’s a stretch to make it about Israelis.
August 13, 2026 at 10:45
Hi Simon, I know it ultimately depends on what is stated in the judgment, but how did it usually work in previous cases like this once the plaintiffs were granted relief? Do we simply send our passports afterward, and that’s it? Or do we also need to send the medical examination results in sealed envelopes to the embassy? Or do they already have the medical results online, with the physical documents only needing to be brought with us to the airport?
August 13, 2026 at 11:34
That’s impossible to answer simply. The situation will vary depending on the lawsuit order, but also by embassy, by case situation and so on. There isn’t a “one size fits all” answer.
August 13, 2026 at 09:16
Hey simon, Do you know the current condition of the kathmandu embassy. and another question, so the date for the last batch for the 2nls to be sent has passed or will they issue 2nls. my case no is around 11500 what do you think the chances are?
August 13, 2026 at 09:58
I don’t have information about individual embassies. I don’t know if KDU plan to schedule any more interviews – it is already quite late to do that, but not impossible. If the pause is lifted soon, I would expect more interviews to be scheduled at some embassies, but that is just a guess and depends on timing.
August 13, 2026 at 07:43
Dear Simon,
With the pauses and waiting for the lawsuits, sometimes I wonder is there anything in my power that I could possibly do to help the situation, so in the future when I look back, I don’t have any regrets that I wish I’ve done this or that. So is there anything that I can possibly do to help the situation for example – send emails to the judge, or to reach some people in the US government to try and explain how life changing the DV is for people on the ground level? Do have any advice or is it just … accept the situation as it is.
Many thanks,
Kitty
August 13, 2026 at 08:43
You must not try to contact the Judge – that would be inappropriate.
You can contact people in the government if you like, but the ones that care are powerless, and those with the power want to hurt immigrants.
August 12, 2026 at 20:48
Hi Simon,
1.What could be fate of a visa that reads “Ready ” on a CEAC status and was not on 221g but rather had a verbal approval before the pause.
2. The applicant is not a plaintif but a beneficiary whose family received their visas but applicant’s visa caught held up by the pause.
August 13, 2026 at 07:50
If your visa is stamped. I think you can travel
August 12, 2026 at 19:48
Hi! I just watched the immpact live. What do you think of the lawsuit? Still hope we will win? Second question, I’m from Belgium and the medical expired in June. Do you suggest renewing it or wait? Thank you
August 12, 2026 at 20:49
I think the lawsuits will win, I just don’t know what or when.
Some people should repeat medicals. You can check with the physician to see if they will allow that.
August 13, 2026 at 10:08
I already did my interview as well. So you recommend me doing the medical again if possible or should I wait till the result of the lawsuit?
August 13, 2026 at 11:32
It is your choice. You need to ask the physician IF they will allow it, and also weigh whether to repeat the medical (or at least book the appointment) to make sure you don’t get stuck without a valid medical. There are some chances that medical validity would be extended, but there is no guarantee about that at this time.
August 13, 2026 at 14:02
Okay awesome, thank you! If you were in my shoes what date would you recommend for an appointment the latest ?
August 13, 2026 at 19:13
I would speak to the physician and see how long it takes to get the report to the embassy, and leave at least a week or two before Sept 30th.
August 14, 2026 at 00:51
Okay I will do that. One more question ( sorry ) what if I have an appointment for my medical in the last two weeks but then the embassy can’t take me in before Sep 30th, or won’t they do that? Thank you
August 14, 2026 at 08:55
You have already interviewed. They don’t need to interview again – but do allow time for the issuance.
But do understand – there is no guarantee this will work out. So – you need to be alert and do whatever you can.
August 11, 2026 at 18:46
Hi Simon
If Trump loses the upcoming election, what will happen regarding the US Diversity Visa Lottery and the current suspension? Will there be an impact? Will the US State Department lift the visa ban and the suspension Pause ? Thank you.
August 11, 2026 at 18:48
* If Trump fails to win both chambers…
August 11, 2026 at 23:26
I don’t have a crystal ball to see that far.
August 11, 2026 at 14:18
Hi Simon, thank you for the work you do. I came to the US through dv lottery and has had ly green card.
What do i have to do when i need to change my adresse to move to a new state?
Thank you in advance.
August 11, 2026 at 14:26
https://www.uscis.gov/ar-11
August 11, 2026 at 12:42
I went to for my medical examination, and they informed me that the X-ray results showed I might be a TB suspect. They said we need additional days, until October 16, for further evaluation. This is a very urgent and risky issue for me because the final deadline for the DV 2026 program is September 30.
Does that means better to quit interview??
August 11, 2026 at 14:25
If there is no way to get the medical clearance before September 30th, then yes you may as well avoid the interview to save your money.
August 11, 2026 at 12:11
Had an interview and received my 221(g) in Stockholm. Many inferrals to the pause.
August 11, 2026 at 09:09
Dear Simon,
When do you think we’ll receive the ruling by Leon at latest?
August 11, 2026 at 10:28
I don’t know.
August 12, 2026 at 01:01
But do you think we’ll even have an order before September 30?
August 12, 2026 at 09:25
Yes
August 10, 2026 at 22:02
Hello Mr. Simon
Would you know from the feedback by Oceania winners here:
1. What is the last number range for Oceania region that are being call for September interviews. For example OC2705
August 10, 2026 at 22:31
Xarthisius has the exact data for the region, but the highest numbers scheduled will vary by embassy – according to the capacity they made available.
August 10, 2026 at 11:09
Thank you for your inquiry.
We will announce the start date for the DV-2027 registration period as soon as practicable, as well as the date that DV-2027 selection results become available through the Entry Status Check (ESC). These changes will not affect the visa application period for individuals selected for DV-2027, which will remain October 1, 2026, to September 30, 2027. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/changes-to-2027-dv-program-entry-period.html
In order for the Kentucky Consular Center to assist with inquiries regarding a specific Diversity Visa (DV) case, you must provide the Principal Applicant’s full name, complete case number, and date of birth in the following format (MMDDYYYY) as entered on the original entry. Please remember that the Kentucky Consular Center does not have the authority to tell you whether or not your specific case will be disqualified. Only a consular officer can do that at the time of your visa interview. Do not send any paper documents to the Kentucky Consular Center.
For additional information, please refer to the following websites:
Diversity Visa Website: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/diversity-visa-program-entry.html
Diversity Visa Instructions: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/diversity-visa-program-entry/diversity-visa-instructions.html
DS-260 instructions: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/diversity-visa-program-entry/diversity-visa-if-you-are-selected/diversity-visa-submit-your-iv-and-alien-registration-application.html
To enter the Diversity Visa lottery or to check for a selection notice: https://dvprogram.state.gov
_______________________
Lacy
Diversity Visa Unit
U.S. Department of State, Visa Services, Office of Domestic Operations
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Kentucky Consular Center (CA/VO/DO/KCC)
LDRM
Email: [email protected]
August 9, 2026 at 18:22
Any new info on how the Belgrade embassy is doing?
August 9, 2026 at 20:48
No
August 9, 2026 at 09:52
Hi Simon. Thank you for your video yesterday. Someone asked about the best airports for activating the green card. As we live in Canada near the Montana border, we were thinking of driving over the border to activate ours. Could I ask please whether you think this is a good way to do it or are we better flying? Thank you for your help.
August 9, 2026 at 17:10
Driving is perfectly OK.
August 10, 2026 at 08:16
That’s great. Thanks very much for your help. It’s much appreciated.
August 9, 2026 at 07:26
Hi Brit. I’m CN 63XX1. I depend on Dakar embassy and I haven’t already received my 2nd NL. Is It normal. I wrote to the kcc several times but they told that my ds260 is valid but I have to wait to get scheduled.
August 9, 2026 at 17:10
Yes that is “normal” for some cases. Not all embassies have made enough capacity available to see all the cases that became current. Your only hope is them taking more cases at some point.
August 9, 2026 at 05:22
Hi Simon,
Hope you’re well. I was eu209** became current and had an interview booked in June but had to let it run as we couldn’t get a medical in time. Was sent an email saying can rebook but haven’t been able to book another one because system is always busy ie no appts even when called them. Have you come across this before? And likelihood of getting an interview if pause is lifted
August 9, 2026 at 17:08
Yes it has happened before. I don’t know what chance you have of re-booking.
August 10, 2026 at 19:19
Hello Simon,
I am a DV-2026 selectee from Djibouti. My case number is 2026AF00091724, and KCC has confirmed that my case is now current for interview processing.
I would like to know if you have seen or heard of any DV-2026 selectees from Djibouti who have already received their 2NL, regardless of their case number.
If so, could you please tell me their approximate case number and the month of their interview?
I am trying to understand whether Djibouti has been scheduling DV-2026 interviews recently.
Thank you very much for your help.
August 10, 2026 at 20:43
I don’t have accurate data on all embassies. However, your number is quite high, so your chances of getting scheduled are slim.
August 8, 2026 at 14:57
Dear Brit, given that Todd Blanche has now been confirmed as Attorney General, do you think his appointment could carry some weight in the judge’s decision or at least make it harder to lift the DV Lottery pause? I’d really appreciate your personal opinion on this. Thank you.
August 8, 2026 at 15:15
I don’t know.