The Trump administration has suspended visa interview appointments worldwide
Kyiv • UNN
The Trump administration has suspended visa interview appointments for applicants worldwide due to global training for consular staff. Applicants are having their appointments rescheduled, while the policy of tightening immigration faces legal obstacles.
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has suspended scheduling visa interviews for applicants from around the world as part of the U.S. government's immigration policy during the Republican leader's second term in the White House, Reuters reports, according to UNN.
Details
A U.S. State Department spokesperson said on Tuesday that a global training initiative had been launched at all U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide, and that visa-service appointments would be adjusted to accommodate the training.
Trump has launched an aggressive deportation and immigration campaign that includes canceling visas and green cards, as well as rejecting applications for a range of reasons, such as political views and pro-Palestinian protests against the U.S. ally Israel's attack on Gaza, the publication writes. He reportedly says the policy is aimed at improving domestic security.
The policy has encountered some legal obstacles. On Friday, a U.S. judge ordered the Trump administration to rescind its policy suspending the issuance of immigrant visas to applicants from 75 countries, stating that the policy exceeded the powers granted by law to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The State Department did not provide details about the training or its duration, other than saying that "the training was intended to help consular officers screen out applicants deemed likely to become dependent on U.S. government benefits and ensure a "comprehensive and consistent" assessment of visa applicants.
The suspension of visa interview appointments was previously reported by the Financial Times, which noted that immigrant visa applicants who had interviews scheduled at U.S. embassies and consulates received emails saying that their appointments were being rescheduled and that they would be notified of a new date in the future.
Although Trump campaigned in 2024 on ending illegal immigration, his administration has also made legal immigration more difficult—for example, by introducing new and higher fees for applicants for certain work visas.