Update 6/16/2025 – Potential Expansion of the U.S. Travel Ban – Impact on Diversity Visa 2025:
Why This Matters Now
The State Department has issued a 60-day warning to 36 additional nations: improve passport security, data-sharing, and deportation cooperation by mid-August 2025 or face new entry suspensions. If a proclamation is signed, DV-2025 selectees born in any listed country will lose access to immigrant-visa interviews, unless they qualify for a narrow exemption.
Draft List of 36 At-Risk Countries
Angola · Antigua & Barbuda · Benin · Bhutan · Burkina Faso · Cabo Verde · Cambodia · Cameroon · Côte d’Ivoire · Democratic Republic of Congo · Djibouti · Dominica · Egypt · Ethiopia · Gabon · The Gambia · Ghana · Kyrgyzstan · Liberia · Malawi · Mauritania · Niger · Nigeria · Saint Kitts & Nevis · Saint Lucia · São Tomé & Príncipe · Senegal · South Sudan · Syria · Tanzania · Tonga · Tuvalu · Uganda · Vanuatu · Zambia · Zimbabwe
Deadline: Mid-August 2025. No additional public notice is required before the President signs a proclamation.
What Happens If the Ban Is Finalized
| Effect | Practical Outcome for DV Winners |
|---|---|
| Immediate interview freeze for applicants born in a newly banned country | Cases already scheduled are cancelled; pending visas are refused unless a national-interest waiver is granted. |
| Sharp drop in Africa & Asia demand (Nigeria, Ethiopia, Egypt, Ghana alone = 18 k+ selectees) | Surplus numbers re-allocated to other regions late in the year. |
| Potential September surge | Europe’s final cut-off could climb into the 30 000–35 000+ range; Asia may exceed 15 000. |
| No retroactive cancellation of visas printed before a proclamation | Those visas remain valid, though additional airport screening is likely. |
Action Plan for DV-2025 Selectees
- Verify your chargeability – the ban uses country of birth, not nationality or residence.
- Submit missing documents now – consular calendars will reshuffle if interviews are frozen.
- Explore dual citizenship if you can claim a passport from a non-listed country.
- Track the August & September Visa Bulletins – numbers could move suddenly, making mid-range cases current.
- Consult an immigration attorney if you might qualify for a national-interest waiver.
Key Takeaways
- A travel-ban expansion decision is expected around mid-August 2025.
- 36 countries are on notice; affected DV-2025 applicants risk losing their chance this fiscal year.
- The August 2025 cut-offs already show healthy jumps, and an official ban could drive an even bigger September surge, benefiting applicants from non-restricted regions—especially Europe.
- DV visas expire on 30 September 2025; stay prepared to act quickly as the situation evolves
Update 6/8/2025 @02:13 EDT:
We have launched a major update to our free DV Lottery Eligibility Checker tool. The tool now instantly checks whether your country of birth is affected by the new 2025 U.S. travel ban (full or partial), in addition to screening for DV eligibility by country, education, and work experience.
This feature helps applicants from impacted countries get a clear, immediate answer about both their eligibility and any travel restrictions that may apply.
As always, the tool is free, mobile-friendly, and will be updated as new policies are released.
Update 6/5/2025 @05:08 EDT:
- Over 1,000 DV-2025 visas have already been issued to nationals from banned or restricted countries. These individuals will not be able to enter the U.S. unless granted a waiver.
- More than 500 cases are still marked as pending or awaiting review. These are most likely to be canceled.
Initial Post (Published June 5, 2025):
On 5 June 2025, President Trump issued a sweeping proclamation that blocks or limits immigrant and visitor entry from 19 countries. Because Diversity Visa winners enter the United States on immigrant visas, the order has immediate, and potentially devastating, consequences for DV Lottery 2025 selectees and the entire DV Lottery 2026 cohort.
Key Points
- Twelve countries face a full suspension of immigrant and non-immigrant visas.
- Seven additional countries face partial suspensions that still bar immigrant visas (including DV).
- The ban takes effect 12:01 a.m. EDT on 9 June 2025 and has no set end date.
- DV 2025 winners from the 19 countries will almost certainly lose their chance to receive visas before the fiscal-year deadline of 30 September 2025.
- DV 2026 winners from those same countries start the year already barred from visa issuance.
- The proclamation allows case-by-case national-interest waivers but experience shows these are rare.
- All applicants, even from non-banned nations, should expect tighter security screening and slower interview scheduling.
Countries Affected
Fully banned (12)
Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar), Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen
Partially banned (7) – immigrant visas still suspended
Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela
Impact on DV Lottery 2025 Selectees
The DV 2025 program expires 30 September 2025. With the ban hitting in June, many selectees from the 19 named nations still awaiting interviews or administrative processing will see:
- Canceled or postponed interviews: Consulates will not schedule new DV interviews for barred nationals.
- Visa issuance refusals: Even if an interview occurred before 9 June, the consular officer must withhold the visa stamp once the proclamation is in force.
- No automatic extensions: By statute, DV numbers vanish after the fiscal year. The order offers no relief or time-credit.
Applicants already in the United States adjusting status are also covered; unless they fit a narrow waiver, USCIS must deny the green-card application.
Impact on DV Lottery 2026 Winners
DV 2026 winners begin processing in October 2025 and have until 30 September 2026. Because the proclamation has no sunset clause, selectees born in any of the 19 countries enter the fiscal year blocked from day one. Unless the White House rescinds the order, or a court strikes it down, consulates will decline to schedule DV 2026 interviews for those nationals.
For applicants from non-listed countries, the program continues, but heightened vetting could slow appointment availability worldwide.
Enhanced Vetting and Processing Delays
Alongside the ban, the State Department has circulated cables instructing consular posts to:
- Expand social-media and travel-history screenings.
- Refer more cases for inter-agency security clearances.
- Accept only urgent or mission-critical visa appointments for several weeks while new systems roll out.
Expect longer waits for interview dates, more frequent “administrative processing” holds, and potential document re-requests even for straightforward cases.
Waivers: Slim but Possible
The proclamation permits waivers where denying entry would:
- Advance “significant U.S. national-security or law-enforcement interests,”
- Prevent “undue hardship” and be in the “national interest,” or
- Further important U.S. foreign-policy objectives.
Historically, waiver approval rates under similar bans have hovered in the single-digits. Diversity-Visa applicants, chosen by lottery, not employer sponsorship or family ties, rarely meet the narrow criteria.
Legal and Political Landscape
- Advocacy groups brand the measure a “Muslim-majority and Global South ban,” echoing litigation themes from 2017–2018.
- Immigration lawyers predict class-action suits on behalf of DV winners, arguing the ban unlawfully nullifies congressionally-mandated visas.
- Lawmakers opposing the move have introduced bills to restore DV eligibility, but passage is uncertain given current congressional dynamics.
Applicants should watch for court injunctions; a preliminary injunction could temporarily reopen processing, but time is critical for DV 2025, whose statutory window closes in less than four months.
Practical Tips for Applicants
- Check your case status daily in the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC). Some applicants from non-banned nations will still progress slowly.
- Keep documents “ready to submit.” If courts block the ban, consulates may reopen slots quickly and expect immediate readiness.
- Consult a qualified immigration attorney before requesting a national-interest waiver, poorly framed requests waste precious time.
- Stay informed via the Visa Bulletin and official State-Department notices rather than rumors on social media.
- Preserve proof of lottery selection; if Congress ever passes a relief bill, documentation will matter.
The June 2025 travel ban reshapes the DV Lottery 2025 finish line and sets a daunting stage for DV Lottery 2026. Nationals of 19 countries now face an almost total freeze on immigrant-visa issuance. Waiver paths exist but remain steep climbs. Even unaffected applicants should brace for slower, more meticulous processing.
For would-be immigrants, the Diversity Visa has always been a beacon of opportunity. In 2025 and 2026, that light now burns unevenly, bright for some, dimmed for many. Keep informed, stay prepared, and hope that policy winds may shift again before the window closes for good.
How much could the new vetting affect the european cutoff for DV 2026? If initially we predicted a 40k cutoff, what’s a reasonable percentage to lower the prediction by taking in consideration the new social media checks, administrative delays etc.
Brian,
The final cut-off could end up about 15% to even 25% lower than original optimistic estimates. Realistically, instead of 40,000, something in the 30,000–34,000 range would be a safer expectation until we see how quickly embassies can adapt to the extra workload.
Hello,
Since the September DV-2025 cutoff is announced in July, how would a ban finalized in August affect the September cutoff? Wouldn’t it be too late to adjust the numbers?
Sanna,
If a new ban is announced and finalized in August, it will apply immediately, even to cases that already had “Ready” status or were scheduled for September interviews. Selectees from banned countries would not be scheduled for interviews, and any pending cases from those countries would not be able to proceed, even if their number was under the cut-off.
The State Department does not adjust or raise the cut-off after the final Visa Bulletin is published, even if that means some visas go unused due to bans or other issues. There is no redistribution or reopening for higher numbers in September. So, a ban in August could mean that some cases in “Ready” status from banned countries will not be scheduled or approved, but their spots won’t be given to other applicants with higher case numbers. The process simply stops for those affected, and any leftover visas will remain unused when the program closes on September 30.
If your number is current and you’re not from a banned country, your case is not affected. But if you’re from one of the countries impacted by a new ban, unfortunately, you would not be able to proceed, even if you had already been waiting for an interview.