The administration of United States President Donald Trump has temporarily suspended visa appointment scheduling worldwide as US embassies and consulates begin a new training programme for consular officers.
The US State Department confirmed the development on Tuesday, saying existing appointments would be adjusted to allow diplomatic missions to participate in the training.
The department said the exercise was aimed at strengthening the visa screening process and improving US national security.
A State Department spokesperson said the training would help consular officers assess visa applicants more thoroughly and consistently.
However, the department did not provide a timeline for the training or state when normal visa appointment schedules would resume.
The Financial Times first reported the development, saying some immigrant visa applicants with already scheduled interviews had received emails informing them that their appointments had been postponed.
The affected applicants were reportedly told that they would receive further information about their new interview dates.
The State Department defended the decision, saying the government wanted to ensure that visa applicants were unlikely to depend on public benefits meant for eligible Americans.
“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 development comes amid legal challenges to some of the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
A federal judge on Friday struck down a policy that had suspended the issuance of immigrant visas to applicants from 75 countries.
The judge ruled that the policy exceeded the statutory powers given to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Despite the court ruling, the Trump administration has continued to tighten immigration and visa screening measures, citing national security concerns and the possibility of applicants becoming dependent on government assistance.
The administration’s wider immigration policies have faced criticism from human rights organisations, which have accused it of adopting discriminatory measures and infringing on rights related to free speech and due process.
Some rights groups have also raised concerns about the possible impact of the measures on ethnic minorities in the US, particularly over fears of racial profiling.
The latest visa appointment pause is expected to affect applicants in different countries as US diplomatic missions adjust their schedules to accommodate the training programme.
