US visa applicants are facing extreme delays after the Trump administration paused interview appointments at embassies and consulates worldwide, with some applicants already being told that their scheduled interviews have been pushed back.
Applicants have been told they will receive new dates, but no timeline has been given for when appointments will return to normal. The State Department said the changes are meant for training for new consular officers, aimed at strengthening how visa applications are screened and reviewed.
What Applicants Are Experiencing
According to the Financial Times, immigrant visa applicants with scheduled interviews at US embassies and consulates have received emails informing them that their appointments are being pushed back, with officials saying a new date will be communicated in due course.
No fixed timeline has been given for when normal scheduling will resume.
Why Appointments Are Being Paused
A State Department spokesperson told Reuters on Tuesday that the pause is linked to a new global training initiative for consular officers at all US embassies and consulates, and that appointment slots are being adjusted to accommodate it.
The department said the training is intended to help officers screen out applicants seen as likely to become dependent on US public benefits, and to ensure that visa applications are evaluated comprehensively and consistently, though no further detail was provided on what the training involves.
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The Wider Context
The pause comes as part of President Donald Trump's broader immigration crackdown, which has included visa and green card cancellations. Some applications have also been rejected over factors such as applicants' political views or participation in pro-Palestinian protests, Reuters reported.
The administration has said the measures are meant to strengthen domestic security.
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Some Relief Through The Courts
Applicants from a specific set of countries did get some relief last week, after a US judge struck down a Trump administration policy that had suspended immigrant visa issuance to nationals of 75 countries, ruling it went beyond Secretary of State Marco Rubio's statutory authority.
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