Diversity Visa Hold Paused by Court Order: What FY-2026 Selectees Can Do

On Aug. 28, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued an order in *Medani, et al., v. Trump, et al.*, case number 26-cv-6332 (N.D. Cal.), temporarily vacating USCIS Policy Memorandum PM-602-0193 — the memorandum behind the diversity visa (DV) hold — pending further litigation. USCIS published its alert on this court order on Sept. 4, 2026.

What the court ordered

The court ordered USCIS, "to the extent practicable and in good faith, to take all reasonable steps during the remainder of the Diversity Visa fiscal year to resume ordinary adjudication of plaintiffs’ pending adjustment of status applications without applying" PM-602-0193. It also granted in part the plaintiffs’ motion for class certification.

Who is in the certified class

For USCIS, the court certified this subclass: "all selectees and derivative beneficiaries under the FY-2026 Diversity Visa Program who are subject to the USCIS DV Hold imposed by Policy Memorandum PM-602-0193." If your adjustment case falls outside that definition, this order may not cover you — the class is tied to the FY-2026 DV program and to PM-602-0193.

Why USCIS imposed the hold

USCIS says PM-602-0193 was issued to ensure that people applying for adjustment of status under the DV program in the United States do not pose a threat to national security or public safety.

What USCIS says now

USCIS states that it "strongly disagrees with the Court’s order but will follow its terms pending possible further judicial review." Because that review is still possible, the practical position can change again.

Why timing matters

The order is tied to "the remainder of the Diversity Visa fiscal year." The FY-2026 diversity visa year runs through Sept. 30, 2026, and diversity visas cannot carry over to the next fiscal year, so this is a short window rather than an open-ended change.

What this order does not do

• It does not create new eligibility for the diversity visa program.
• It does not guarantee approval of any pending application.
• It does not resolve the litigation — an appeal or further rulings can change the picture.

Anyone with a pending DV-based adjustment application should confirm how the order applies to their own case with a licensed immigration attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative.

Related coverage

• USCIS court order on hold policies: affected pending applications back in normal processing
• US immigration policy changes in 2026: complete overview
• Green card processing times in 2026

Official source

• USCIS alert: Court Order on Diversity Immigrant Visa Program Hold Policy (Sept. 4, 2026)

*This article is general immigration information, not legal advice. The summary above is based on the USCIS alert linked in the official source.*