At least 100 applicants based in Hong Kong have been impacted by the indefinite postponement of US immigrant visa interviews worldwide, according to immigration consultants. The pause, which also disrupts student and travel visa applications, reflects a significant tightening of legal immigration under the Trump administration.

An email seen by the South China Morning Post revealed that the US consulate in Hong Kong informed one applicant that her interview, originally scheduled for this week, "has been rescheduled," with confirmation of a new date and time to follow. The message did not provide reasons for the cancellation or a new interview date.

Willis Fu Yiu-wai, an immigration consultant at Goldmax Associates, stated that about 10 of his Hong Kong clients were notified over the past two days that their immigration visa interviews had been postponed indefinitely. However, other applicants are still undergoing vetting before the interview stage, which continues as normal.

Fu noted the anxiety among applicants, saying, "They are really panicked, because they have paid the application fee and some have been through the process for two to three years, and the final step is the interview at the consulate."

The global pause has led some Hong Kong applicants to fear that the US might scrap the entire immigration pathway, potentially rendering their efforts and expenses futile.

Sources