The United States has temporarily halted the processing of immigrant visa applications worldwide as the administration of President Donald Trump intensifies efforts to prevent prospective immigrants from becoming dependent on government welfare.
A State Department official confirmed the development on Tuesday, saying the suspension was introduced at US embassies and consulates globally earlier in August.
According to the official, some visa appointments were cancelled to allow consular officers to undergo additional training aimed at strengthening the assessment of applicants.
The State Department said the training would help officers assess applications more thoroughly and apply the requirements consistently.
The agency stated, “The goal is to ensure all consular officers are fully equipped to evaluate every visa applicant comprehensively and consistently.”
Applicants who had already secured interview dates were reportedly informed by email that their appointments had been cancelled. They are expected to receive new dates once the process resumes.
The suspension is linked to the administration’s efforts to ensure that immigrants entering the country are unlikely to depend on US public assistance.
It forms part of a wider immigration policy under the Trump administration that has introduced additional restrictions on both legal and undocumented immigration.
The latest action came shortly after the administration announced plans to revoke the visas of some asylum seekers who initially travelled to the US as tourists or business visitors before seeking asylum.
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott described obtaining a visa for the purpose of seeking asylum as “fraud — which is grounds for visa revocation.”
The White House has claimed that as many as 200,000 visas could eventually be revoked under the broader initiative, describing it as the “largest mass visa revocation in history.”
However, the State Department has not confirmed that figure, saying the number of affected visas remains subject to change as reviews continue.
The latest suspension follows another attempt by the Trump administration to impose visa restrictions based on so-called “public charge” considerations. The earlier policy, which affected citizens of 75 countries, was recently blocked by a federal judge.
Immigration lawyers and advocacy groups have expressed concern about the impact of the new suspension on applicants who had already made travel arrangements and incurred significant expenses for their interviews.
Brian Simmons, an attorney with immigration law firm Fragomen in Washington, said affected applicants could face considerable financial and personal disruption.
He said many applicants had “spent thousands of dollars and disrupted their lives to attend scheduled interviews, only to have their appointments cancelled at the last minute.”
The State Department has not provided a definite timeline for when the cancelled appointments will be rescheduled.
Meanwhile, the administration has introduced other measures affecting visa applicants, including scrutiny of applicants’ social media activity and additional processing requirements and fees.
The latest measures have heightened uncertainty for prospective immigrants as the Trump administration continues to tighten US immigration and visa policies.
