DouglasKomu.com Immigration Guides · Green Cards · DV Lottery
Immigration Alert · May 25, 2026
U.S. Immigration Crisis: 5 Urgent Updates Every Kenyan Must Know Right Now
By Douglas Komu Published May 25, 2026 10 min read
🔴 DV Lottery Frozen🔴 Green Card Rule Change🔴 Ebola Entry Ban🟡 June Visa Bulletin🟡 Scam Alert
⚠️ Disclaimer: Nothing in this article is legal advice. This information is for educational and general awareness purposes only. Immigration law is complex and changes frequently. Please consult a licensed U.S. immigration attorney for guidance specific to your individual case.
Habari ndugu. If you are Kenyan or East African and you care about U.S. immigration — the DV Lottery, your green card, your family’s visa, or your plans to come to America — the past few weeks have been some of the most consequential in recent memory.
Three crises landed within days of each other. The DV Lottery, which was already frozen since December 2025, remains completely suspended with a September 30, 2026 hard deadline approaching fast. Then on May 22, USCIS announced a sweeping change that upends green card plans for thousands of people already inside the United States. And on May 18, the U.S. government imposed an Ebola-related entry ban covering Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudan — a ban that was later expanded to include even green card holders.
I have gone through every official source — the State Department, USCIS, the CDC, the U.S. Embassy Nairobi — to give you the most accurate, up-to-date picture possible. This is what you need to know, and what you need to do next.
In this article
- DV Lottery still suspended — the September 30 deadline is coming
- New USCIS rule: most green card applicants must now leave the U.S. to apply
- Ebola travel ban hits East Africa — green card holders blocked too
- June 2026 Visa Bulletin released — what it means for Africa
- Embassy Nairobi update + visa bond changes
- Scam alert: fraudsters are targeting Kenyans right now
- What to do next
01
DV Lottery Is Still Frozen — And the September 30 Deadline Is Not Moving
Since December 18, 2025 · Sources: travel.state.gov, uscis.gov, Fragomen Law Firm
🔴 Urgent
On December 18, 2025, the Trump administration indefinitely suspended the entire Diversity Visa program. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem ordered USCIS to halt all DV processing after a mass shooting at Brown University and MIT, in which the suspect was reportedly a former DV Lottery beneficiary. The State Department immediately paused all DV visa issuances at every U.S. Embassy in the world — including Nairobi.
Then on January 19, 2026, USCIS went even further. They told adjudicators to place a hold on all pending DV-2026 adjustment of status applications inside the United States — including work and travel authorization tied to those cases. Every pending DV case, inside and outside America, ground to a halt.
As of today, May 25, 2026, the suspension is still fully in effect. No DV-2026 interviews are happening. No DV visas are being issued anywhere. No DV-2027 registration has opened. USCIS is conducting an individual security review of every pending DV applicant, which means some selectees may be called in for in-person re-interviews.
“The program is authorized by Congress and remains part of U.S. immigration law. The current suspension is a temporary administrative pause while security reviews are conducted. Full cancellation would require Congressional legislation.” — U.S. immigration legal analysis, 2026
The most critical thing to understand: the hard September 30, 2026 deadline has not been extended. By law, all DV-2026 visas must be issued by September 30, 2026. There are no exceptions. There is no mechanism to extend it. If the freeze is not lifted with enough time for your interview and visa to be processed before that date, your DV case is gone — permanently. This is not a warning. This is immigration law.
For DV-2027, the registration period that was supposed to open in October 2025 has been delayed with no new date announced.
Who is affected
All DV-2026 selectees worldwide — including thousands of Kenyans, Ugandans, Tanzanians, and Ethiopians who were selected when results were announced on May 3, 2025. Also affected: anyone who filed for adjustment of status through DV-2026 while already in the U.S., and anyone hoping for DV-2027.
What you should do right now
- Check your DV-2026 status at dvprogram.state.gov — this is the only official website
- Use the official National Visa Center inquiry form if your case number is current and you have not heard anything
- Consult a licensed immigration attorney — especially if your case number is current under the visa bulletin
- Do NOT pay anyone claiming they can “unfreeze” or “speed up” your DV case — this is fraud
- Document everything: keep copies of your NVC confirmation, any correspondence, and your confirmation number
02
Breaking: USCIS Says Most Green Card Applicants Must Now Leave the U.S. to Apply
May 22, 2026 · Sources: uscis.gov, Washington Post, NPR, Quarles Law Firm
🔴 Urgent
Three days ago — on May 22, 2026 — USCIS dropped a bombshell policy change that immigration lawyers are calling one of the most significant shifts in decades.
Until now, many foreign nationals living in the United States on a temporary visa could apply for a green card without leaving the country, through a process called “adjustment of status” (Form I-485). You could be on a tourist visa, a student visa, or a work visa, and if you became eligible for a green card — through marriage to a U.S. citizen, through employment, or another path — you could file your paperwork and stay in the U.S. while it was processed.
Under the new USCIS policy memo, that is now essentially over for most people. USCIS is directing that foreign nationals must return to their home country and go through “consular processing” at the U.S. Embassy, except in “extraordinary circumstances.” Officers will decide case by case whether an exception is warranted. Crucially, legal experts note there is no grandfathering clause — meaning the new rule may apply to I-485 applications that are already pending.
USCIS stated: “Nonimmigrants come to the U.S. for a short time and for a specific purpose. Their visit should not function as the first step in the Green Card process.”
Immigration attorneys immediately raised alarm. The American Immigration Lawyers Association called it an attempt to “upend decades of adjustment of status processing.” The practical danger is real: if you leave the U.S. to apply at your home embassy and something goes wrong — the visa is delayed, denied, or additional documents are required — you could be stuck outside America with no clear path back in.
Why this hits Kenyans especially hard
Many Kenyans are in the United States on F-1 student visas, B-1/B-2 visitor visas, or H-1B work visas, and had filed or were planning to file I-485 applications through a U.S. citizen spouse or an employer. That plan is now in serious jeopardy. You may now be forced to leave and apply in Nairobi — and if anything goes sideways at that embassy interview, you are outside the U.S. with no guarantee of return.
Who is affected
Anyone currently in the U.S. on a temporary visa with a pending I-485 application, or anyone who was planning to file one. This includes students (F-1), visitors (B-1/B-2), and temporary workers (H-1B, L-1), among others.
What you should do right now
- If you have a pending I-485, contact your immigration attorney this week — do not wait
- Do NOT withdraw or abandon your I-485 without professional legal advice
- Do NOT leave the United States to “go apply at the Embassy” without consulting a lawyer first
- If you were planning to file an I-485 soon, hold off and speak with an attorney before filing
- Be prepared for USCIS to issue Requests for Evidence (RFEs) asking why adjustment of status — rather than consular processing — is warranted in your case
03
Ebola Travel Ban: East Africans — Including Green Card Holders — Blocked from Entering the U.S.
May 18–22, 2026 · Sources: CDC.gov, State Department, Africa CDC, StatNews
🔴 Urgent
A fast-moving Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo — involving the Bundibugyo strain, a rare and dangerous variant first detected in Uganda in 2007 — has now crossed into Uganda. As of writing, the WHO has declared it a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, with more than 300 suspected infections and at least 80–88 deaths, mostly in eastern DRC with confirmed cases in Kampala, Uganda.
On May 18, 2026, the U.S. CDC and DHS announced an immediate entry ban on any non-U.S. citizen who has been in the DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan within the past 21 days. Four days later, on May 22, the U.S. government expanded that ban — eliminating the previous exemption for green card holders (lawful permanent residents). As of now, if you hold a U.S. green card and you were in Uganda, DRC, or South Sudan within the last 21 days, you cannot re-enter the United States.
The U.S. Embassy in Uganda suspended all visa services on May 18, 2026 — affecting all categories including tourist, student, and work visas. Visa operations in South Sudan are also suspended. As a result, U.S. Embassy Nairobi has now been designated to process immigrant visas for residents of both South Sudan and Somalia.
Important: U.S. citizens who have been in those countries can still enter the United States, but must go through enhanced public health screening at designated airports including Washington Dulles. They must also monitor themselves for Ebola symptoms for 21 days after leaving the affected region.
Why this matters to Kenyans
Kenya is NOT under the travel ban. However, Uganda is Kenya’s direct neighbor, and many Kenyans travel there regularly for business, family, or transit. If you have been to Uganda in the past three weeks, this ban affects you. Green card holders who were visiting family in Uganda and planned to fly back to the U.S. are now in a very difficult position — they are currently banned from re-entering, and they need urgent legal help.
Additionally, the increased Nairobi visa processing load from South Sudan and Somalia may affect appointment availability at the Embassy for Kenyan applicants.
What you should do right now
- If you were in Uganda, DRC, or South Sudan in the last 21 days, do NOT travel to the U.S. until the ban is lifted or you have legal clearance
- If you are a green card holder currently stuck outside the U.S., contact an immigration attorney urgently — this is an emergency situation
- If you are traveling to East Africa soon, avoid Uganda and the DRC region and carefully plan your route back to the U.S.
- Monitor cdc.gov and travel.state.gov for daily updates — this situation is evolving fast
- South Sudanese and Somali nationals needing immigrant visa interviews must contact the National Visa Center to arrange appointments in Nairobi
June Visa Bulletin & Embassy Updates
04
June 2026 Visa Bulletin Released — Africa Numbers Are Current, But DV Is Still Frozen
Published mid-May 2026 · Source: travel.state.gov
🟡 Important
The U.S. Department of State released the June 2026 Visa Bulletin. For the DV category, Africa’s cutoff numbers are progressing — the Africa region has had cutoffs around 45,000 in recent months (with separate lower caps for countries like Egypt and Algeria that have higher DV participation).
Here is the critical context: even if your DV-2026 case number is below the Africa cutoff in the June bulletin — meaning you are technically “current” — this means nothing while the program suspension is in place. No interviews are being scheduled. No visas are being issued. The visa bulletin cutoff moving forward is essentially symbolic until the freeze lifts.
For family-based green card cases, the June bulletin shows some forward movement in Dates for Filing. For employment-based green cards, Final Action Dates remain mostly unchanged. USCIS confirmed it will use Final Action Dates (not Dates for Filing) for employment-based adjustment of status applications in June.
What you should do right now
- Check the June 2026 Visa Bulletin at travel.state.gov — it is free and updated monthly
- DV-2026 selectees: confirm your case number is below the Africa cutoff — this means you will be one of the first to be processed when the suspension lifts
- Family-based applicants: check whether your priority date is now current in the June bulletin — if yes, contact the National Visa Center
- Bookmark travel.state.gov and check back around the 8th of each month when new bulletins are released
05
Embassy Nairobi Closed Today (Memorial Day) + New Visa Bond Requirements
May 25, 2026 & May 13, 2026 · Source: ke.usembassy.gov, State Department
🟡 Important
The U.S. Embassy in Nairobi is closed today, May 25, 2026, in observance of Memorial Day — an American federal holiday. Normal operations resume on Tuesday, May 26. If you had any calls, emails, or appointments planned today, reschedule for Tuesday.
Separately, the State Department updated its “Countries Subject to Visa Bonds” page on May 13, 2026. Nationals from countries on this list who apply for B-1/B-2 tourist or business visas may now be required to post a cash bond of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 at their visa interview. If they violate their visa terms — for example, by overstaying — the bond is forfeited. Posting a bond does not guarantee that a visa will be approved.
Also worth noting: Presidential Proclamation 10998, which took effect January 1, 2026, placed visa and entry restrictions on nationals of 39 countries. Kenya is not on that list. However, if you hold citizenship from any other country in addition to Kenyan citizenship, check whether that country is affected.
What you should do right now
- Do not attempt to contact the Embassy today — they are closed for Memorial Day
- Check travel.state.gov to see if your country of citizenship is on the updated visa bond list
- If you are planning to apply for a U.S. visitor visa, be prepared for the possibility of a bond requirement at your interview
- Do NOT overstay your U.S. visa — it triggers bond forfeiture, bars future visa applications, and can result in deportation
06
Scam Alert: Fraudsters Are Targeting Kenyans and East Africans Right Now
Ongoing — heightened risk 2026 · Sources: travel.state.gov Fraud Warning, FTC, FBI IC3
🔴 Urgent
Whenever there is confusion and panic in the immigration community, scammers move in. And right now — with the DV Lottery frozen, thousands of anxious selectees waiting for answers, and new green card rules causing fear — the fraud is at an all-time high. I have received messages from community members who have already lost money to these scams. Please read this section carefully and share it with your family and friends.
Common scams happening right now
- Fake “selection” emails and WhatsApp messages — claiming you have been selected in the DV lottery or that your case has been “cleared,” asking for payment to proceed. The U.S. government will NEVER email or call you to say you won. Check your status yourself at dvprogram.state.gov — nowhere else.
- “Unfreeze your DV case” scams — agents claiming they have connections to USCIS or the Embassy and can unfreeze your suspended DV case for a fee. No individual can do this. Anyone claiming otherwise is lying to take your money.
- Fake visa consultants filing on your behalf — sometimes without your consent, then demanding payment when you are selected. If an agent filed your DV entry, your case could be disqualified. DV entries must be filed by yourself or a trusted family member at no cost.
- Non-.gov websites charging for free services — charging fees to check your DV status, file your DS-260, or access government forms. Everything the government requires is free at official .gov websites.
- Impersonation of the Kentucky Consular Center — fake emails pretending to be from the KCC asking for documents or payment. The KCC does not initiate contact by email to notify selectees.
Official rule: The only website to check your DV-2026 status is dvprogram.state.gov. The government charges no fee for any step of the DV process. If someone is asking you for money related to the DV Lottery, they are scamming you.
To report immigration fraud: econsumer.gov (international) or ic3.gov (FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center).
What You Should Do Next
I know this is a lot of information, and I know some of it is frightening. But the worst thing you can do right now is freeze — or worse, hand your money to a scammer while waiting for news that might never come through unofficial channels.
Here is what I want you to take away from this article:
If you are a DV-2026 selectee: The program is suspended but not cancelled. Monitor dvprogram.state.gov. Get a licensed attorney involved now, not later. The September 30 wall is real.
If you have a pending I-485 or were planning to adjust status: Call your immigration attorney this week. The May 22 USCIS policy change is new and the full implications are still being analyzed by legal professionals. Do not make any moves without guidance.
If you have been in Uganda, DRC, or South Sudan in the past 21 days and hold a U.S. green card: You need urgent legal help today. Contact an immigration attorney immediately.
For everyone: Trust only official sources. Use only .gov websites. Pay nothing to anyone for information or services that the U.S. government provides for free. And stay connected — I will continue to update this community as the situation develops.
You can find me at douglaskomu.com for written updates, video breakdowns, and resources you can share with your family. We are in this together.
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Sources & Official Links
Research compiled May 25, 2026. Additional sources: Fragomen Law Firm, Quarles Law Firm, CitizenPath, NPR, Washington Post, StatNews, Africa CDC.
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