The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has paused immigrant visa applications worldwide to conduct “in-depth training” for consular officers amid its ongoing immigration crackdown, the Financial Times reported Tuesday, citing a State Department spokesperson.
As Washington seeks to screen out individuals “deemed likely to need U.S. assistance,” immigrant visa applicants with scheduled interviews at U.S. embassies and consulates have been notified by email that their appointments were being rescheduled and that they would receive future notice of a new date and time, the report said.
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The visa pause came just a few days after the Trump administration faced legal setbacks last week.
A federal judge on Friday struck down the administration’s ban on visa applications for citizens of 75 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Russia and Somalia, whom it deemed likely to seek public benefits in the United States.
Since Trump returned to the White House, his administration has tightened immigration policies, cracking down on undocumented immigrants and increasing scrutiny of U.S. visa holders.
On Aug. 10, the State Department announced that it had revoked more than 175,000 visas since January 2025, when Trump began his second term.
On Monday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposed a fee of $103,265 for H-1B cap-subject petitions, marking the agency’s latest move to restrict the visa programme on new grounds. This came after previous efforts to charge $100,000 for the visa were struck down by the courts.
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Earlier on Tuesday, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement obtained by Xinhua that the U.S. State Department is working with the DHS to identify and revoke the nonimmigrant visas of foreigners who apply for asylum.
Pigott’s remarks came shortly after multiple U.S. media outlets reported that the Trump administration is preparing to revoke the business and tourism visas of up to 200,000 foreigners who have applied for or are currently seeking asylum status in the United States.
- The Trump administration has paused immigrant visa applications worldwide to conduct "in-depth training" for consular officers, according to the Financial Times.
- Immigrant visa applicants with scheduled interviews at U.S. embassies and consulates have been notified by email that their appointments are being rescheduled.
- A federal judge struck down the administration's ban on visa applications for citizens of 75 countries deemed likely to seek public benefits in the U.S.
- Since January 2025, the State Department has revoked more than 175,000 visas under Trump's tightened immigration policies.
- The Department of Homeland Security proposed a $103,265 fee for H-1B cap-subject petitions, aiming to restrict the visa program after previous court strikes on similar efforts.
