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The US has paused visa appointments for applicants worldwide as President Donald Trump steps up his immigration crackdown during his second term in the White House, Reuters reported on Tuesday (local time).
A US State Department spokesperson stated that the department had launched a global training initiative across all US embassies and consulates worldwide, adding that visa service appointments will be adjusted to accommodate the training, according to the report. Meanwhile, applicants with interviews already scheduled were emailed that their appointments had been cancelled and that they would be informed of a new date and time, The Financial Times reported. The State Department has not provided a timeline for when the interviews will resume or when fresh appointment dates will be issued, FT reported. The department noted that the training initiative was launched this month across US diplomatic missions globally to strengthen the manner in which officers assess visa applications. "A more prosperous America means ensuring that visa applicants are not likely to become a public charge, as defined under US law and regulation, and not likely to become dependent on US public benefits reserved for qualified Americans in need," a State Department spokesperson told the Financial Times. The spokesperson added that the department had launched "a global training initiative" to "ensure all consular officers are fully equipped to evaluate every visa applicant comprehensively and consistently". "To accommodate this in-depth training, appointments for visa services will be adjusted," the spokesperson said. The latest move comes as Trump's second administration intensifies its immigration enforcement agenda, which has included tougher scrutiny of visa and green-card applicants, an aggressive deportation campaign, and an overhaul of refugee admissions. The latest pause adds another layer of uncertainty for immigrant visa applicants, particularly those who are required to complete their processing outside the US. Since last year, the administration has required immigrant visa applicants to generally process their cases in their country of citizenship, even when they are legally living and working in the US or have American spouses or children. Trump returned to the White House in 2025 after campaigning on a pledge to curb illegal immigration. His administration has since expanded scrutiny of legal immigration, including visa and green-card applications, with immigration actions in some cases linked to political activity and pro-Palestinian activism. Trump has maintained that his immigration crackdown is aimed at improving domestic security. However, his policies have faced legal challenges and criticism from human rights groups, which have accused the administration of discriminatory practices and violations of free speech and due process rights. While Trump campaigned in 2024 on a promise to curb illegal immigration, his administration has also made legal immigration more difficult through measures including tighter visa screening, increased fees, and restrictions affecting foreign workers and other visa applicants. However, in an earlier setback for the Trump administration, a US judge on August 21 struck down a policy that suspended the issuance of immigrant visas to applicants from 75 countries, ruling that it exceeded Secretary of State Marco Rubio's statutory authority. (ANI)
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