For decades, the United States Diversity Immigrant Visa (DV) Programme, commonly known as the Green Card Lottery, has been one of the most accessible gateways to U.S. permanent residence. Its appeal lies in its simplicity: no employer sponsorship, no family petition, and no investment threshold

The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (Green Card lottery) is a program administered by the U.S Secretary of State, that allocates over 55,000 visas annually. It is a form of lottery whereby random selections are made from individual applicants whose countries make up a low number of immigrants to the U.S and once granted, a Diversity Visa confers Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) status on the applicant.

 This program was established by the Immigration Act of 1990, passed by the U.S congress, and it has served over the years as a significant legal entry point for individuals and families seeking long-term residence in the United States.

The programme’s policy objective is not humanitarian, employment-based, or family-based migration. Instead, it is a demographic balancing mechanism. The U.S. Congress designed the DV Programme to encourage immigration from countries with historically low levels of migration to the United States; and promote diversity within the U.S. immigrant population.

Participation is therefore limited to nationals of eligible countries, which are reviewed and published annually based on U.S. immigration statistics.

The program is aimed at diversifying the immigrant pool in the U.S by offering permanent residency to immigrants from underrepresented groups. It has specific requirements that need to be met, including at least a high school diploma, and registration is within a specific window every fiscal year.

From a legal standpoint, a DV holder enjoys parity with individuals who obtained permanent residence through employment sponsorship, investment, or family reunification.

Suspension

However, due to a shooting event that happened at Brown University on December 13th, 2025, Pres. Donald Trump unilaterally suspended the program on Thursday, 18th December 2025.

The announcement was conveyed through a statement made by his Homeland Security Secretary, Ms Kristi Noem, after the suspect Mr Claudio Neves Valente, was identified as having obtained U.S. permanent residency through the DV Program. In the aftermath of the incident, which reportedly resulted in multiple fatalities, the administration cited national security concerns as the basis for halting the program, asserting that the individual “should never have been admitted” under existing immigration processes.

While deeply unfortunate, this development highlights the degree to which immigration policy can be reshaped swiftly in response to security events, irrespective of the broader statistical evidence surrounding legal migration.

This is not the first time the program was suspended, as it was suspended in 2020 as part of restrictions on legal immigration during the pandemic. It has also been criticised based on fraud, racism, and other terrorist actions carried out by some lottery winners over the years.

From a legal standpoint, it is important to note that the program is a statutory creation of Congress, not merely an administrative policy and the President’s action represents an executive suspension, not a legislative repeal. The measure is likely to attract judicial scrutiny, particularly where vested or in-process rights are affected.

Impact of the Suspension

For Nigerians and applicants from other countries, this program has been a major strategic and cost-effective pathway for legal permanent residency, and with the program now suspended, current and prospective applicants face uncertainty as their current entries are deemed frozen or delayed, as there is no prediction as to when it will resume.

The consequences of this decision are that applicants who pursue other U.S. visas (student, work, family-based) might face stricter vetting and longer interviews. They are enjoined to stay calm, monitor the official government websites for timely and correct updates on the status of the various modes of entry, prepare the relevant documents pending when it starts up again, or as an alternative, consider other countries.

How can Fiduciary Services Limited help?

In this period of policy uncertainty, Fiduciary Services play a central role in helping individuals and families navigate mobility, asset protection, and long-term planning holistically, rather than reacting to immigration shocks in isolation. We can assist in the following ways:

1. Global Mobility & Immigration Structuring

We work with clients to assess alternative jurisdictions and lawful migration routes aligned with your personal, business, and family objectives, ensuring flexibility across borders.

2. Trust, Estate, and Succession Planning

For families affected by stalled U.S. migration plans, we help restructure estate plans, trusts, and holding arrangements to ensure continuity, tax efficiency, and asset protection regardless of residence outcomes.

3. Family Governance and Long-Term Planning

For globally mobile families, uncertainty can strain intergenerational planning. We assist with family charters, governance frameworks, and legacy planning that transcend any single country’s immigration regime.

4. Risk Management and Contingency Planning

Rather than reacting to suspensions, we help clients design robust Plan B and Plan C strategies, ensuring that education, business operations, and family security are not derailed by sudden policy shifts.

For clients seeking certainty beyond temporary visas or suspended lottery systems, we provide structured access to Citizenship-by-Residency programmes in select jurisdictions which includes Malta, Austria amongst others.

Through these programmes, clients can:

• Secure long-term residency with a defined pathway to citizenship;
• Establish alternative domicile options for themselves and their families;
• Enhance global mobility, visa-free travel, and residence security;
• Create optionality for education, healthcare, business expansion, and legacy planning.

Our advisory approach ensures that citizenship and residency solutions are not pursued in isolation, but are carefully integrated with tax, estate, and wealth-structuring considerations.

Conclusion

The suspension of the U.S. Green Card lottery in response to the tragic shooting in the US underscores how migration policy can shift suddenly in the wake of national security concerns. This decision comes in a series of similar decisions aimed at reducing the immigration population in the US, and for Nigerians, many of whom have long relied on the DV program as a low-barrier route to U.S. residence, the development brings uncertainty. However, with proactive planning, alternative pathways, and verified information, individuals can still navigate global mobility options effectively.