U.S. Temporarily Suspends Immigrant Visa Appointments Worldwide

Altaj News –

The U.S. State Department announced Wednesday that the government is temporarily suspending immigrant visa appointments worldwide to allow time for consular staff training.

A State Department spokesperson told Agence France-Presse via email that the appointments, which include interviews between foreign visa applicants and consular officers, will undergo “adjustments” to facilitate the training, confirming earlier reports by U.S. media.

The exceptional measure applies to all U.S. embassies and consulates around the world and does not include tourist, student, business, or temporary work visas for the United States.

The State Department did not specify when the appointments would resume. However, a department official speaking on condition of anonymity indicated that the suspension could last for “weeks,” depending on the embassy.

U.S. President Donald Trump has made combating illegal immigration a priority, deporting large numbers of undocumented immigrants and restricting the legal entry of foreigners, in some cases strictly, while imposing penalties on foreigners who overstay their visas in the United States.

However, courts have overturned several key measures taken by the administration.

On Tuesday, the State Department announced that the U.S. government was preparing to revoke work and tourist visas for up to 200,000 foreigners who had applied for asylum in the United States.