WASHINGTON — The US State Department has directed embassies and consulates worldwide to postpone immigrant visa interviews while consular officers complete a new training programme, a department spokesperson said this week.
Global Training Initiative and Public Charge Rule
The spokesperson said the department launched "a global training initiative at all of our embassies and consulates worldwide" in early August, and that "to accommodate this in-depth training, appointments for visa services will be adjusted." Officials said the training is intended to help consular officers more thoroughly and consistently assess whether immigrant visa applicants are likely to become a "public charge," meaning dependent on US public benefits intended for eligible Americans, rather than being self-supporting.
Applicants who already had interviews scheduled at US embassies and consulates have received emails informing them their appointments are postponed. The department has told them they will be notified later of new dates, but has not given a timeline for when that notice will arrive or when normal appointment scheduling will resume.
Scope of the Pause
The pause applies to immigrant visas, which are issued to foreign nationals seeking to live permanently in the United States, rather than nonimmigrant visas, which cover temporary purposes such as tourism, study or temporary work. Available U.S. Department of State statements and reporting describe the appointment adjustments as specific to immigrant visa services; they do not indicate that tourist, student or temporary work visa categories are affected by this particular measure.
Legal Context and Impact on Applicants
The announcement follows a ruling on Friday by a federal judge in Manhattan, who struck down a separate, earlier State Department policy that had suspended immigrant visa issuance to applicants from 75 countries, finding it exceeded the secretary of state's statutory authority. The new worldwide pause is a distinct action tied to the training rollout rather than that country-specific policy.
Immigration attorneys have said the delays affect applicants who had already spent money and made preparations to attend scheduled interviews, only to have them cancelled without a rescheduling date. With no restart date announced, applicants are watching for further State Department guidance and individual notices from the specific embassy or consulate handling each case.
Further reading and useful links
Reader questions
Frequently asked questions
Why did the US pause immigrant visa appointments?
The State Department paused appointments to accommodate a global training initiative for consular officers on how to assess whether applicants are likely to become a 'public charge' dependent on US benefits.
Are tourist or student visas affected by this pause?
No. Available statements indicate the pause applies only to immigrant visas (for permanent residency) and does not affect nonimmigrant visas like tourist, student, or temporary work visas.
When will US immigrant visa interviews resume?
The State Department has not yet provided a specific timeline for when postponed applicants will receive new dates or when normal appointment scheduling will resume.
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