DV-2026 Visa Cap Finalized at 52,101 After Deductions

The State Department has set the final visa allocation for the DV-2026 Diversity Visa Program at 52,101. This figure is the operative cap for the current fiscal year after mandatory legal deductions.

Congress sets a statutory ceiling of 55,000 diversity visas each year. Federal law, however, requires deductions before the final number is set. The NACARA law can divert up to 5,000 visas, while Section 5104 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 mandates another 3,000-visa deduction. The resulting effective annual pool is lower than the 55,000 ceiling.

For DV-2026, the official cap is 52,101 visas. The fiscal year for the program runs from October 1, 2025, to September 30, 2026. All visa issuance or adjustments of status must be completed by that final date.

Final Month Cutoffs Determine Eligibility

The September bulletin uses regional cutoff numbers to manage the final month of visa issuance. Applicants with case numbers below the applicable regional cutoff can proceed, provided they meet all other program requirements.

A case not finalized by September 30, 2026, cannot be carried over into the next fiscal year. Selection in the lottery does not guarantee a visa.

Court Order Resumed Processing But Did Not Extend Deadline

Visa issuance for DV-2026 had been paused by the administration before a federal court order required it to resume. The case, Medani v. Trump, led the State Department to publish updated guidance on September 2, 2026, stating the pause ended on August 28, 2026.

The court action restored processing but did not alter the fiscal year deadline. Stuart Anderson, cited in the VisaVerge report, emphasized the hard stop. "Selectees who do not receive visas or status by September 30, 2026, will derive no further benefit from their DV-2026 registration," he said.

Country Restrictions and the Visa Queue

The program allocates visas to applicants from countries with historically low immigration rates to the United States. No single country can receive more than seven percent of the available diversity visas in a year.

For DV-2026, the list of ineligible countries included many with high immigration rates.

The combination of country restrictions and the annual cap means there are always more selectees than available visas. Any reduction in the cap increases competition within the visa queue to complete processing before the deadline.

Legal Dispute Emerges Over Next Lottery Cycle

While DV-2026 issuance concludes, a legal fight is brewing over the next cycle. The State Department has not announced registration dates for DV-2027. Red Eagle Law has filed a lawsuit seeking to force the opening of the next registration period.

An attorney from the firm, Morrison, argued the law requires a 30-day entry period during the prior fiscal year. "There are only 42 days left in the fiscal year, and no entry period has been announced," Morrison said, according to the source. The lawsuit continues as the clock runs down on the current fiscal year.