A September 14 status report filed in federal court shows the State Department has scheduled 147 Diversity Visa (DV-2026) interviews and re-interviews since August 28, when a California judge vacated the department’s pause on DV processing. Only 11 interviews have occurred so far, leaving hundreds of selectees to be processed before the fiscal-year deadline of September 30. The agency also confirmed it rescinded cables that had frozen immigrant-visa issuance for citizens of 75 countries, instructing consular posts to contact affected applicants and, when needed, arrange new medical exams or collect updated documents. Plaintiffs in Medani v. Trump have asked the court to hold the government in contempt for slow implementation and to mandate weekend overtime at consulates. For global-mobility programs, the limited DV numbers are a cautionary tale about processing backlogs: employees with DV-selected family members may still face uncertainty and emergency travel. Legal teams should monitor embassy scheduling bulletins daily and advise applicants not to appear at posts without written notice. If the State Department cannot finalize approvals by September 30, the remaining visas will expire, potentially triggering additional litigation. Companies employing DV-selectee dependents should prepare contingency plans for work authorization lapses in Q4.
Source: NepYork
