A Circuit Court of Appeals ruled diversity visa beneficiaries don’t retain benefits for a fiscal year after it ends. The decision follows a court case where an appellant requested 2021 diversity visa (DV) benefits. The ruling comes after the government suspended the DV program.
The case revolved around appellants selected for the FY2021 Diversity Visa (DV) program, which lasted from October 1, 2020 to September 30, 2021. The Department of State (DOS) stopped processing DVs in March 2020 via a presidential proclamation. The government revoked the proclamation in 2021. The appellant filed an appeal on the grounds of their intent of filing before the program’s suspension.
The court ruled that, once the FY2021 DV ended, the DOS can’t process expired applications. Therefore, the court affirmed dismissal of all the appellant’s claims. Additionally, the court explained the appellant has every right in applying for the current DV program.
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