The U.S. State Department has issued a cautionary update in its August 2026 Visa Bulletin, indicating that the quota for the Diversity Visa (DV-2026) program could be reached well before the official end of the fiscal year. According to the document, the opportunity to obtain permanent residency status through the DV-2026 lottery will remain valid only until September 30, 2026. After this date, no further immigrant visas will be issued to selectees and their family members, even if the allocated cap has not been fully met. The State Department emphasized that it cannot guarantee visa availability until the end of the fiscal year, as the designated visa numbers may be depleted much earlier. This year, the total number of visas issued under the program has decreased from the standard 55,000 to approximately 52,000. This reduction is the result of legal adjustments reallocating a portion of the visas for other purposes under the NACARA program and the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2024. The August bulletin also established maximum cut-off numbers for accepting applications across six geographical regions. The highest allocation was granted to the Africa region at 60,000, though lower, specific limits were set for Algeria and Egypt. For Asia, the cut-off is 40,000, and for Europe, it stands at 29,000. No limits have been set for North American countries, including the Bahamas. In addition to the diversity visa updates, the bulletin detailed revised dates for family-sponsored and employment-based immigration categories. Notably, the State Department warned of a potential temporary suspension of EB-1 (priority workers) visa issuance for Indian nationals in the coming weeks if the set limit is reached. A similar situation may also arise for the EB-2 category. The State Department noted that it is continuously monitoring the situation and will make necessary adjustments to visa limits as required.