Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, Aug 26: The Donald Trump administration has paused immigrant visa appointments worldwide as US consular officers undergo additional training aimed at strengthening scrutiny of applicants who may become dependent on US government assistance, according to the Financial Times.
Applicants who had already scheduled interviews at US embassies and consulates have been informed by email that their appointments have been postponed or rescheduled. They will be notified later about new dates and times. The State Department has not announced when normal appointment schedules will resume.
A State Department spokesperson said the administration wants consular officers to ensure that people applying for immigrant visas are unlikely to become a "public charge" or rely on public benefits intended for eligible Americans.
The department began a worldwide training programme this month to help consular officers assess applications more thoroughly and apply public-charge rules consistently. The latest move comes as the Trump administration intensifies scrutiny of legal immigration and visa applications.
The State Department has already introduced additional measures concerning public-charge determinations. In August, it said consular officers could, under a pilot programme, require certain immigrant visa applicants to apply for a public-charge bond through US Citizenship and Immigration Services.
The latest pause follows a federal court ruling last week that struck down an earlier administration policy suspending immigration visa processing for nationals of 75 countries. US District Judge Jeannette Vargas ruled that the policy exceeded the authority granted to the State Department and interfered with the decision-making authority Congress had assigned to consular officers.
The court's ruling required the administration to resume processing for applicants affected by that policy. The latest worldwide pause, however, is being presented by the administration as a training-related measure rather than a country-specific suspension.
The development is part of a broader immigration crackdown since Trump returned to the White House for a second term in 2025. His administration has tightened visa and green-card screening, restricted refugee resettlement and expanded immigration enforcement and deportation operations.
The administration has also proposed a major increase in the cost of H-1B visas. The Department of Homeland Security has proposed a $103,265 application fee for H-1B petitions, following Trump's earlier push for a $100,000 fee. The proposal is subject to a 30-day public-comment period.
The H-1B programme allows US employers to hire skilled foreign workers in specialised occupations. The proposed fee increase has added to concerns among employers and foreign professionals about the future of legal immigration to the United States.
Trump's immigration policies have repeatedly faced legal challenges. During his first term, federal courts blocked an initial attempt to bar citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the US, although the Supreme Court later allowed a narrower version of the restrictions to take effect.
The administration has also changed the location requirements for immigrant visa interviews. The State Department currently requires immigrant visa applicants to interview in the consular district corresponding to their place of residence, or in their country of nationality if requested, subject to limited exceptions. The change took effect in November 2025.
The requirement has affected applicants who may already be legally living and working in the United States, including some with US citizen spouses or children, as they may need to complete immigrant visa processing outside the US.
For Indian applicants, the broader visa changes come as the US immigration system continues to deal with substantial backlogs in some employment-based categories. The State Department's August Visa Bulletin, for example, shows separate priority-date cut-offs for India in several employment-based categories.
The State Department has not provided a definite date for the resumption of the postponed worldwide immigrant visa appointments. Applicants affected by the latest pause will have to wait for further instructions from the US embassy or consulate handling their case.