The Trump administration has directed U.S. embassies and consulates globally to postpone immigrant visa interviews while consular officers complete training on new public charge guidance. This pause temporarily stalls applications that have reached the interview stage.

The State Department instructed diplomatic posts to reschedule immigrant visa interviews until officers finish training on evaluating whether an applicant is likely to become a public charge—a determination that can render an immigrant visa applicant inadmissible if officials believe the person may rely on certain public assistance after arriving in the U.S.

"In early August, we launched a global training initiative at all of our embassies and consulates worldwide. To accommodate this in-depth training, appointments for visa services will be adjusted," a State Department official said in a statement.

In addition to this training, the administration announced it is preparing to revoke the business and tourism visas of up to 200,000 foreigners who have applied for or are seeking asylum in the U.S., which would be the largest mass visa revocation in U.S. history.

While campaigning in 2024 on curbing illegal immigration, the Trump administration has also imposed additional restrictions on legal immigration, including higher fees for certain work visas and new limits on the duration foreign students and journalists can remain in the U.S.

Separately, a federal judge recently struck down a State Department policy that suspended immigrant visa issuance to applicants from 75 countries, ruling that the policy exceeded Secretary of State Marco Rubio's statutory authority.

Sources