U.S. Embassy Nairobi Shares New Green Card Lottery Update
Even though the U.S. Diversity Visa programme, commonly known as the Green Card Lottery, remains under a temporary pause, the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi has moved to reassure Kenyans that interviews for selected applicants are still continuing.
According to Consul General Nathan Flock, the embassy is still meeting applicants and reviewing their cases despite the current suspension on visa issuance.
He explained that while no new diversity visas are being issued at the moment, the interview process itself has not stopped.
This means winners can still attend their scheduled appointments, submit their documents, and have their cases assessed as the U.S. government continues its wider review of the programme.
This position is also reflected in the latest U.S. State Department guidance, which confirms that interviews may continue even during the pause.
Flock noted that information about the ongoing suspension has already been published on the embassy and State Department platforms, urging applicants to keep checking official channels for accurate updates.
He emphasized that the embassy is still actively handling cases and that every applicant’s file is continuing to move through the required review stages, even if the final visa cannot yet be printed or issued.
However, he made it clear that there is still no confirmed date for when the pause will be lifted. At the moment, the decision remains in the hands of the U.S. Department of State, which has not yet announced when normal issuance of diversity visas will resume.
The current official guidance says the suspension remains in effect until further notice as the U.S. government reviews screening and vetting procedures linked to the programme.
The indefinite suspension was introduced in December 2025 under President Donald Trump’s administration after security concerns emerged following the Brown University and MIT shooting case.
U.S. authorities said the suspect in that case had reportedly received permanent residency through the Diversity Visa programme several years earlier, prompting Washington to launch a deeper review of how lottery winners are screened before being allowed into the country.
Despite the setback, the Diversity Visa programme remains one of the most competitive immigration pathways in the world, attracting more than 10 million applicants every year.
For many Kenyans, being selected is still considered a life-changing opportunity because only a limited number of visas are available globally.
Kenya has continued to perform strongly in the programme. Recent U.S. State Department figures show the country ranked sixth worldwide in the DV-2025 selection list, with 4,459 Kenyans chosen after applications submitted in late 2023.
This marked another steady rise from previous years, where Kenya recorded more than 3,400 selectees in DV-2023 before increasing to 3,760 in DV-2024.
The growing number of Kenyan winners highlights the country’s strong participation in the programme and explains why the latest update from the Nairobi embassy has drawn widespread attention among hopeful applicants and their families.
Flock encouraged Kenyans not to rely on rumours, social media speculation, or unofficial immigration agents for updates. Instead, he advised applicants to follow announcements directly from the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi and the U.S. Department of State, which will publicly communicate once the suspension is officially lifted and visa issuance resumes.
For now, the key message to Kenyan Green Card winners is that interviews are still going on, case reviews are still active, and applicants should remain prepared, even as they wait for Washington to make the final decision on when the pause will come to an end.
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