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The Donald Trump administration has paused the processing of immigrant visa applications at US embassies and consulates around the world as part of a fresh push to tighten immigration screening and prevent newcomers who may become dependent on government assistance from entering the country.
A US State Department official confirmed the development on Tuesday, saying the new initiative was rolled out at American diplomatic missions earlier this month. According to the department, some visa appointments have been cancelled or moved to allow consular officers to undergo additional training on the updated screening process.
Applicants who had already secured interview dates were reportedly notified by email that their appointments had been cancelled. They are expected to receive new dates once the revised process is in place.
The State Department said the additional training is aimed at ensuring consular officers can assess visa applicants more thoroughly and consistently. The move is also being linked to the administration’s broader immigration agenda, which has placed greater emphasis on screening applicants and limiting immigration that officials believe could put pressure on US public-benefit programmes.
The latest development comes as the Trump administration continues to introduce tougher immigration measures. Earlier this week, the administration announced plans to revoke the visas of some asylum seekers who initially entered the United States on tourist or business visas. The move could reportedly affect as many as 200,000 people and potentially become one of the largest mass visa revocation exercises in US history.
The administration has also introduced additional requirements for some visa applicants, including greater scrutiny of social media activity and higher processing costs.
The latest pause is not the first time the Trump administration has attempted to restrict immigrant visa processing on “public charge” grounds. An earlier policy reportedly targeted applicants from 75 countries, but a federal judge recently overturned the measure.
The ruling was welcomed by immigration advocates, with Joanna Cuevas Ingram of the National Immigration Law Center arguing that immigration laws should not be used as a basis for discrimination.
For applicants affected by the latest decision, however, the immediate concern is uncertainty. Many had already paid for travel, accommodation and other expenses in preparation for their interviews, only to have their appointments cancelled at short notice.
Immigration attorney Brian Simmons of Fragomen told the Financial Times that some applicants may have spent thousands of dollars and disrupted their lives to attend interviews that were ultimately called off.
The State Department has yet to provide a clear timeline for when the cancelled appointments will be rescheduled. For thousands of applicants and their families, the uncertainty could mean further delays in already lengthy immigration processes.
The development is another sign that the Trump administration is taking a harder line on immigration, with several of its recent policies already facing legal challenges in US courts.
