WASHINGTON: The administration of US President Donald Trump has temporarily paused or rescheduled visa appointments for applicants around the world as the State Department begins a new training initiative for consular officers, adding further uncertainty for people seeking to enter the United States legally.
A State Department spokesperson said on Tuesday that a global training programme had been launched across US embassies and consulates and that visa-service appointments would be adjusted to accommodate the sessions.
The department did not provide details about the nature or duration of the training. It said, however, that the initiative was intended to help consular officers identify applicants who could potentially become dependent on US public benefits and to ensure that visa applications were assessed “comprehensively and consistently”.
The move comes as the Trump administration intensifies its broader immigration crackdown, which has targeted both undocumented migrants and some forms of legal immigration.
The administration has pursued a sweeping deportation campaign while also revoking visas and green cards and rejecting applications for a variety of reasons, including political views and participation in pro-Palestinian protests against Israel’s war in Gaza. Trump has defended the measures as necessary to strengthen US domestic security.
Visa interviews being rescheduled
The temporary disruption was reported earlier by the Financial Times, which said immigrant visa applicants who already had interviews scheduled at US embassies and consulates had received emails informing them that their appointments were being rescheduled.
Applicants were reportedly told that they would receive further notification once new interview dates were available. The State Department did not indicate how long the appointment adjustments would last or how widely they would affect visa applicants.
The development adds to concerns among prospective immigrants and other foreign nationals already facing tighter US immigration policies under Trump’s second administration.
Legal challenges to crackdown
The administration’s immigration policies have also encountered resistance in US courts. On Friday, a US judge struck down a policy that had suspended the issuance of immigrant visas to applicants from 75 countries.
The judge ruled that the measure went beyond the statutory authority granted to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The ruling represents one of several legal setbacks faced by the administration as it seeks to implement its immigration agenda.
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Trump campaigned in 2024 on a pledge to curb illegal immigration, but his administration has also introduced measures that make some forms of legal immigration more difficult and costly. Among those measures are new, higher fees for applicants seeking certain work visas.
Rights groups raise concerns
Human rights organisations have strongly criticised the administration’s immigration crackdown, accusing it of discriminatory practices and warning that some measures could undermine free speech and due-process protections.
Rights groups have also expressed concern that the enforcement campaign could increase racial profiling and create an increasingly hostile environment for ethnic minorities in the United States.
The latest visa appointment changes come as the administration seeks to tighten scrutiny of people seeking entry to the country, including those applying through legal immigration channels.
For applicants already facing lengthy visa processing times, the rescheduling of interviews could mean further delays in obtaining permission to travel or settle in the United States.
