Congress moves to eliminate diversity visa program, cutting 50,000 annual immigration slots
H.R. 10896 — To terminate the diversity immigrant visa program. · Filed by Keith Self (R-TX) · Introduced Oct 22, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill eliminates the diversity immigrant visa program, which currently reserves 50,000 annual visa slots for immigrants from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. The bill repeals Section 203(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act and makes conforming edits throughout Title II to remove all references to the diversity visa category, effectively ending the program.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole function is to eliminate a specific visa category. It is a straightforward restrictive measure with no secondary mechanisms or hidden provisions—just a repeal and conforming amendments to remove the diversity visa program from law.
What the text implies
- Eliminates a visa pathway that has historically served as a counterbalance to family- and employment-based immigration, which tend to concentrate visas among certain countries and skill levels.
- May increase pressure on other visa categories (family-sponsored, employment-based) as applicants from diversity-visa-eligible countries seek alternative routes.
- Reduces the total annual immigration ceiling by 50,000 visas unless Congress reallocates them to other categories.
Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.
Who it affects
The bill eliminates a legal immigration pathway available to ordinary people from countries with historically low immigration to the U.S., reducing overall immigration opportunity and narrowing the diversity of the immigrant population. Citizens in affected countries lose access to a visa category that has provided a route to lawful permanent residence independent of employment or family sponsorship.
Named in the bill
Immigration and Nationality Act, Section 203(c), Title II, Diversity Immigrant Visa Program
Where it stands
- Oct 22, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Oct 22, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on the Judiciary · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (1,260 characters) on Oct 31, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,778 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-10-31.
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