The Trump administration has paused visa appointments for applicants around the world as part of an ongoing immigration crackdown. A US State Department spokesperson said it had launched a global training initiative across all US embassies and consulates, and that visa-service appointments would be adjusted to accommodate the programme.
The training, the department said, is intended to help consular officers screen out applicants who are likely to become dependent on public benefits and to ensure that applications are evaluated “comprehensively and consistently.” The pause was first reported by the Financial Times, which said immigrant-visa applicants with scheduled interviews at US embassies and consulates had received emails informing them their appointments were being rescheduled.
The move fits a wider pattern under President Donald Trump, who has pursued an aggressive deportation drive and tightened legal immigration, including revocations of visas and green cards and the rejection of applications on a range of grounds. The administration says the effort is aimed at improving domestic security.
The crackdown has met legal obstacles. Last week a judge struck down a policy that had suspended the issuance of immigrant visas to applicants from 75 countries, ruling that it exceeded Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s statutory authority. The decision was one of several court challenges the administration’s immigration measures have faced.
Human rights groups have widely criticised the crackdown as discriminatory and as a threat to free-speech and due-process rights, arguing it has created an unsafe environment, particularly for ethnic minorities who have raised concerns about racial profiling. While Trump campaigned in 2024 on a promise to curb illegal immigration, his administration has also made legal immigration harder to navigate.
