The United States has paused processing of all immigrant visa applications as the Trump administration introduces tighter immigration controls, a State Department official confirmed Tuesday.
The pause affects US embassies and consulates worldwide. The State Department began a new initiative in early August and adjusted visa appointments to allow consular officers to undergo what the agency described as “in-depth training.”
The training is designed to help officers assess visa applicants more closely and consistently, including whether applicants could eventually depend on US government assistance.
Visa appointments canceled
Applicants who already had interviews scheduled were informed by email that their appointments had been canceled, according to a Financial Times report. They were told they would receive new dates and times, although it remains unclear when the appointments will be rescheduled.
The State Department said it has been developing updated guidance and training since early this year to ensure consular officers are prepared to conduct comprehensive reviews of visa applications. The move is part of a broader series of immigration restrictions introduced by the Trump administration targeting both legal and undocumented immigration.
Wider immigration crackdown
The administration this week also announced plans to revoke visas from asylum seekers who originally entered the US on tourist or business visas. The measure could affect as many as 200,000 people currently seeking asylum and is being carried out in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security.
Visa applicants have also faced additional requirements under the administration, including reviews of their social media activity and higher processing costs, according to the Associated Press.
The latest pause follows an earlier attempt by the administration to restrict immigration on “public charge” grounds. That policy included a proposed block on applications from 75 countries, but a federal judge recently overturned it.
Joanna Cuevas Ingram, senior staff attorney at the National Immigration Law Center, said the court had made clear that immigration laws could not be used to justify discrimination. She said the organization would seek relief for people and families affected by the policy and continue challenging the administration’s actions.
Courts have blocked earlier measures
The administration has faced legal challenges to several immigration policies. In February, a federal judge overturned President Trump’s attempt to suspend the US refugee resettlement system entirely.
Federal agents under the Trump administration have also been allowed to block some asylum seekers from entering the United States, a policy that human rights advocates have said undermines international asylum protections.
Applicants face uncertainty
Immigration lawyers said the latest pause could create immediate problems for people who have already followed the lengthy legal process to obtain immigrant visas. The biggest uncertainty for applicants is now when their canceled interviews will be rescheduled.
