The United States has suspended the processing of immigrant visa applications at its embassies and consulates around the world as the Donald Trump administration tightens its immigration rules.
A State Department official confirmed the development on Tuesday, saying the new measure was introduced across US diplomatic missions earlier in August.
According to the official, visa appointments have been adjusted to allow consular officers to undergo what was described as “in-depth training.”
The State Department said the training would help ensure that officers can assess visa applications “comprehensively and consistently.”
Applicants who already had interviews scheduled were reportedly notified by email that their appointments had been cancelled. They are expected to receive new appointment dates once the process resumes.
US officials said the pause is aimed at ensuring that people granted immigrant visas are not likely to become dependent on public assistance in the United States.
The development is part of the Trump administration’s wider effort to tighten immigration controls, affecting both legal and undocumented immigration.
The move came a day after the administration announced plans to revoke the visas of some asylum seekers who entered the US initially on tourist or business visas before later seeking asylum.
The State Department said it was working with the Department of Homeland Security to identify people who entered the country as temporary visitors before applying for 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 said the policy could affect as many as 200,000 visas, calling it the “largest mass visa revocation in history.”
The State Department, however, has not confirmed that figure, saying the number of affected visas remains subject to change as reviews continue.
The latest suspension comes after an earlier Trump administration policy sought to impose similar restrictions on visa applicants based on concerns about their possible reliance on public benefits. That policy, which covered applicants from 75 countries, was recently blocked by a federal judge.
Immigration lawyers and advocacy groups have raised concerns about the latest move, particularly for applicants who had already spent money preparing for interviews and making travel arrangements.
Brian Simmons, an immigration lawyer with Fragomen in Washington, said many applicants may have “spent thousands of dollars and disrupted their lives to attend scheduled interviews, only to have their appointments cancelled at the last minute”.
It is not yet clear when the cancelled appointments will be rescheduled.
The administration has also introduced other measures affecting visa applicants, including reviews of applicants’ social media activity and additional processing fees, as part of its broader immigration policy changes.