Introduction
A federal court has ordered U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to resume normal processing of certain Diversity Visa adjustment of status applications — at least for now. On August 28, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued a temporary order in Medani, et al., v. Trump, et al. The order vacated the USCIS Diversity Visa hold policy that had been blocking those applications from moving forward. The ruling directly affects the resumption of Diversity Visa adjustment of status adjudications. It applies to a defined class of FY-2026 DV selectees currently waiting inside the United States.
The Policy That Was Challenged
The Diversity Visa Program was established under the Immigration and Nationality Act. It makes up to 55,000 immigrant visas available each fiscal year to nationals of countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States. Selectees already present in the U.S. in a valid immigration status typically pursue their green card through adjustment of status before USCIS. They do not go through consular processing abroad.
Earlier in FY-2026, USCIS issued Policy Memorandum PM-602-0193. It placed a hold on the adjudication of adjustment of status applications filed by Diversity Visa selectees within the United States. The stated rationale was to ensure that DV applicants do not pose a threat to national security or public safety. The agency characterized this concern as the basis for pausing ordinary processing while it established or applied additional review mechanisms.
What the Court Ordered
That August 28 order from the Northern District of California temporarily vacates PM-602-0193 while litigation continues. The court directed USCIS, to the extent practicable and in good faith, to take all reasonable steps during the remainder of the FY-2026 fiscal year. USCIS must resume ordinary adjudication of affected adjustment of status applications without applying the hold policy memorandum.
Critically, the court also granted in part the plaintiffs’ motion for class certification. With respect to USCIS, the certified subclass covers all selectees and derivative beneficiaries under the FY-2026 Diversity Visa Program. This includes those subject to the hold imposed by PM-602-0193. This means the court’s order extends beyond the named plaintiffs and applies to an entire defined category of applicants. USCIS has publicly stated that it strongly disagrees with the order. The agency will comply with its terms while pursuing potential further judicial review.
It is important to understand what this order does and does not do. It is a temporary vacatur — not a final judgment on the merits of the underlying policy. The court has not permanently struck down the hold policy. Litigation in Medani remains active, and the remainder of the FY-2026 fiscal year determines the order’s practical effect.
Who Is Affected
The court’s subclass certification defines the directly affected population with specificity: FY-2026 Diversity Visa selectees and their derivative beneficiaries, meaning qualifying spouses and children. They must be in the United States, with adjustment of status applications subject to the PM-602-0193 hold. These individuals had pending Form I-485 applications that USCIS was not adjudicating under the now-vacated policy.
This USCIS order does not cover Diversity Visa selectees who pursue consular processing abroad. It applies only to adjustment of status applicants. Those outside the United States, dealing with their cases through U.S. embassies and consulates, are subject to separate processes and separate legal authority. Similarly, this order does not affect applicants in other immigrant visa categories. Its scope is tightly defined to FY-2026 DV Program participants subject to PM-602-0193.
Practical Implications
For DV selectees who fall within the certified subclass, this order creates a meaningful — if time-sensitive — window. The court now directs USCIS to resume ordinary adjudication of their pending adjustment applications for the remainder of FY-2026. USCIS issues Diversity Visa numbers on a fiscal year basis, and they expire at the end of each fiscal year. So the timing here is not academic. Applicants who can complete their cases before the fiscal year closes may be able to obtain their green cards. Those who cannot finalize their cases within the remaining window face more uncertainty about what happens next.
USCIS’s compliance language — “to the extent practicable and in good faith” — comes directly from the court’s order. It carries real meaning. The agency need not process every case before the fiscal year ends. It must only take all reasonable steps to do so. Applicants and their representatives should not assume the court order alone guarantees a final decision on their case within the fiscal year.
The agency has also flagged the possibility of further judicial review, meaning courts could stay, modify, or appeal this order. The legal status of PM-602-0193 may continue to shift as the Medani litigation progresses. Any strategy built around this order should account for circumstances possibly changing before a case reaches final adjudication.
For derivative beneficiaries — spouses and children included in DV applications — the class definition explicitly covers their applications. Those individuals should keep their supporting documentation current. They should also position their applications to move as quickly as possible given the window available.
What to Watch For Next
Several developments merit close attention in the coming weeks. USCIS has indicated it disagrees with the court’s ruling and may seek further judicial review. This could include an appeal to the Ninth Circuit or a request for a stay of the district court’s order. Either development could interrupt or modify the resumed processing that the August 28 order contemplates.
The end of FY-2026 itself is a firm deadline. It will substantially affect how many class members can benefit from this order in practical terms. Stakeholders should also monitor whether USCIS issues internal processing guidance or updated policy alerts on implementing the court’s directive. This matters especially given the “to the extent practicable” framing. Observers expect further developments in Medani as the litigation proceeds past this preliminary stage.
How Immigration Professional Association Can Help
Court-ordered policy reversals, fiscal year visa deadlines, and pending adjustment of status applications intersect here. That intersection is precisely where careful case management makes a measurable difference. At Immigration Professional Association, we work closely with Diversity Visa selectees navigating the adjustment of status process. Our help spans filing Form I-485 and supporting documentation, responding to requests for evidence, and preparing for interviews.
If the PM-602-0193 hold caught your case, you may be trying to understand what this court order means for your situation. This is not the moment to wait and see. The fiscal year window is finite, and the litigation remains live. Our team is ready to help you evaluate where your case stands and what steps you can take now to position it for adjudication. We can also advise on how to respond if further changes occur in the Medani proceedings.
Reach out to Immigration Professional Association today to discuss your FY-2026 Diversity Visa adjustment of status case. Make sure your application is ready to move the moment USCIS resumes processing.
