S. 2082 – Visa Lottery Repeal Act

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Updated April 15, 2026 at 6:56 PM UTC

The Visa Lottery Repeal Act would end the Diversity Immigrant Visa (DV) program, commonly called the visa lottery. It removes the statutory authority that creates the program and updates the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate references to the DV program. The change affects foreign nationals who currently rely on the lottery for a green card and the U.S. immigration system that processes those visas. The amendments become effective at the start of the first fiscal year after enactment.

Key Provisions

Repeals subsection (c) of Section 203 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which establishes the Diversity Immigrant Visa program, effectively ending the visa lottery.
Deletes or revises related subsections throughout Title II of the Immigration and Nationality Act to remove references to the DV program and align the law with its termination.
Sets the effective date of all amendments to the first day of the first fiscal year beginning on or after the act’s enactment.

Legislative Activity

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SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Judiciary Committee

November 6, 2017

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

November 6, 2017

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Judiciary Committee

November 6, 2017

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued November 6, 2017

II

115th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 2082

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

November 6, 2017

Mr. Kennedy introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

A BILL

To terminate the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Visa Lottery Repeal Act.

2.

Termination of Diversity Immigrant Visa Program

(a)

Repeal

Section 203 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1153) is amended by striking subsection (c).

(b)

Technical and conforming amendments

Title II of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1151 et seq.) is amended—

(1)

in section 201—

(A)

in subsection (a)—

(i)

in paragraph (1), by adding and at the end;

(ii)

in paragraph (2), by striking ; and and inserting a period; and

(iii)

by striking paragraph (3); and

(B)

by striking subsection (e);

(2)

in section 203—

(A)

by striking subsection (c);

(B)

in subsection (d), by striking subsection (a), (b), or (c) and inserting subsection (a) or (b);

(C)

in subsection (e)—

(i)

by striking paragraph (2); and

(ii)

by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (2);

(D)

in subsection (f), by striking subsection (a), (b), or (c) of this section and inserting subsection (a) or (b);

(E)

in subsection (g), by striking subsections (a), (b), and (c) and inserting subsections (a) and (b); and

(F)

in subsection (h)(2)(B), by striking subsection (a), (b), or (c) and inserting subsection (a) or (b); and

(3)

in section 204—

(A)

in subsection (a)(1), by striking subparagraph (I);

(B)

in subsection (e), by striking subsection (a), (b), or (c) and inserting subsection (a) or (b); and

(C)

in subsection (l)(2)(B), by striking section 203 (a) or (d) and inserting subsection (a) or (d) of section 203.

3.

Effective date

The amendments made by section 2 shall take effect on the first day of the first fiscal year beginning on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.