The Trump administration has moved to suspend the United States diversity visa programme, commonly known as the green card lottery, following a series of deadly shootings at Brown University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The decision was taken after authorities confirmed that the alleged attacker, a Portuguese national, had entered the country through the diversity visa route. The White House said the move was immediate, framing it as a national security measure.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced that US Citizenship and Immigration Services had been instructed to halt the programme, describing it as a flawed pathway into the country. The suspension was carried out on the direct orders of President Donald Trump, according to officials, and forms part of a broader tightening of immigration controls across several visa categories.
The diversity visa programme allows up to 50,000 people each year to obtain permanent residency through a random selection process. It was created to encourage immigration from countries that historically send fewer migrants to the United States, particularly in parts of Africa and Europe. To maintain this balance, the programme excludes nationals from countries that have sent more than 50,000 immigrants to the US over the previous five years.
India has been excluded from the diversity visa lottery for many years because its migration numbers consistently exceed the eligibility threshold. US government data shows that tens of thousands of Indians move to the United States annually, with figures well above the cutoff even during years when overall immigration slowed. As a result, India is expected to remain ineligible for the lottery system until at least 2028.
Because of this long standing exclusion, the suspension of the green card lottery is not expected to have any direct impact on Indian nationals. Indians seeking permanent residency in the US typically rely on alternative pathways, including employer sponsored visas, family reunification, investment based options, or humanitarian protections. These routes, rather than the diversity visa, account for the vast majority of Indian green card holders.
That said, broader immigration uncertainty remains a concern. The Trump administration has signaled increased scrutiny across multiple visa categories, raising questions for Indian professionals and US companies that depend heavily on skilled foreign workers. While the diversity visa freeze itself does not change the situation for Indians, it adds to an environment of tighter controls that could affect other immigration pathways in the months ahead.
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