Federal Judge Orders USCIS to Resume Diversity Visa Processing After Vacating Hold Policy

A federal judge in California has temporarily vacated a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) policy that had frozen Diversity Visa adjustment of status applications since December 2025. The ruling orders the agency to resume ordinary adjudication of these applications before the fiscal year 2026 visa numbers expire on September 30, 2026, providing classwide relief to thousands of lottery winners.