The United States has suspended the Diversity Visa Lottery programme, commonly known as the Green Card lottery, after a deadly shooting at Brown University.
The decision was announced by the Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem in a statement posted on X
“At President Trump’s direction, I am immediately directing USCIS to pause the DV1 program to ensure no more Americans are harmed by this disastrous program.” She said in the statement.
Among the victims of the Brown shooting was an Uzbek national and university student, Muhammad Aziz Umurzokov.
U.S. authorities identified the suspect as Claudio Nevis Valenti, who later died during the investigation.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, the suspect entered the United States in 2017 through the Diversity Visa programme and subsequently obtained permanent resident status.
In her statement, Noem described the programme as “catastrophic” and said the suspension was aimed at preventing similar incidents in the future.
The move comes amid broader changes to US immigration policy. Earlier this year, the United States tightened rules for issuing non-immigrant visas.
Applicants are now required to attend visa interviews only at embassies or consulates of the United States in their country of citizenship or legal residence.
As a result, citizens of Uzbekistan must apply for visa interviews at the American Embassy in Tashkent.
For nationals of countries without U.S. diplomatic missions or visa sections, the State Department has designated alternative locations for interviews.
The State Department had earlier in the year, introduced a $1 participation fee for the Diversity Visa Lottery programme.
Officials said the funds were intended to cover application processing, data storage and the selection of winners.
Uzbekistan has consistently ranked among the leading countries in terms of Green Card lottery winners.
In the DV-2025 lottery, Uzbekistan placed first globally, with more than 5,500 citizens selected.
Other countries with high numbers of winners included Algeria, Russia, Iran, Afghanistan and Ukraine.
Despite the large number of selected applicants, the number of Diversity Visas issued worldwide each year is limited to approximately 55,000, meaning not all selected applicants ultimately receive permanent residency.
It remains unclear how long the suspension of the Diversity Visa Lottery programme will remain in effect.
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