The United States has temporarily suspended the processing of immigrant visa applications at its embassies and consulates around the world as the Donald Trump administration intensifies efforts to tighten immigration controls.
A State Department official confirmed the development on Tuesday, saying the pause was introduced in early August as consular officers undergo what the department described as “in-depth training.”
According to the official, the training is designed to ensure that consular officers are better equipped to assess visa applicants thoroughly and apply immigration rules consistently.
The development has already affected applicants with scheduled interviews. The Financial Times reported that some applicants received emails informing them that their appointments had been cancelled and that fresh dates would be communicated later.
The latest measure is linked to the administration’s efforts to prevent immigrants from becoming dependent on US government-funded public benefits, officials said.
It forms part of a wider immigration enforcement drive by the Trump administration targeting both legal and undocumented migration.
The suspension came shortly after the administration announced plans to revoke the visas of some individuals who entered the United States on tourism or business visas before subsequently seeking asylum.
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott described obtaining a visa with the intention of seeking asylum as fraud, arguing that such conduct could provide grounds for visa revocation.
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The White House has said as many as 200,000 visas could eventually be affected by the asylum-related crackdown, calling it the largest mass visa revocation in US history.
However, the State Department has not confirmed that figure, saying the number of affected visas remains subject to change as reviews are conducted on a rolling basis.
The latest suspension also follows an earlier attempt by the Trump administration to introduce restrictions on visa applicants deemed likely to become dependent on public assistance. That policy, which reportedly affected citizens of 75 countries, was recently blocked by a federal judge.
Immigration lawyers and advocacy groups have expressed concern that the latest action could disrupt the plans of applicants who had already paid substantial amounts for travel, documentation and other arrangements.
Brian Simmons, an immigration attorney with Fragomen in Washington, told the Financial Times that many applicants may have spent thousands of dollars and made significant changes to their lives in preparation for interviews that were cancelled at short notice.
The State Department has yet to provide a definite timeline for when the cancelled appointments will be rescheduled.
Meanwhile, the administration has continued introducing additional screening measures for visa applicants, including scrutiny of applicants’ social media activity and increased processing requirements.
The latest actions underscore the Trump administration’s broader push to reshape the US immigration system through stricter screening, enforcement and eligibility requirements.