US halts immigrant visa applications for global ‘in-depth’ training course

The Trump administration has paused immigrant visa appointments worldwide to carry out “in-depth training” for consular officers to screen out foreign applicants at risk of taking advantage of U.S. public assistance.

The guidance from the State Department comes after a federal judge last week vacated President Trump’s policy suspending visa processing from 75 countries whose nationals the administration deemed likely to require public assistance.

“A more prosperous American means ensuring that visa applicants are not likely to become a public charge, as defined under U.S. law and regulation, and not likely to become dependent on U.S. public benefits reserved for qualified Americans in need,” a State Department spokesperson told The Hill in an email on Wednesday.

The spokesperson said that a global, in-depth training initiative was launched in early August at all U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide and that “appointments for visa and services will be adjusted.”

“Whenever there are changes to visa interview appointments, embassies and consulates communicate any changes directly to visa applicants,” the spokesperson said.

The pause on visa applications follows Trump’s hardline tack on immigration, where the administration has boasted about revoking more than 175,000 visas from individuals it said had violated the terms by committing criminal offenses, but that largely relied on encounters with law enforcement. The administration announced on Monday it was working to revoke short-term visas from individuals who used them to enter the U.S. and then file asylum claims, with some reports claiming the administration has a goal of canceling 200,000 visas.

The administration has also prioritized revoking visas and permanent residency, or green cards, from people who it deems are a threat to U.S. national security, but advocates say officials are targeting protected free speech like political opinions and pro-Palestinian protests.

But the Trump administration’s policy has received legal pushback. In a ruling on Friday, U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas, an appointee of former President Biden, said the Trump administration had exceeded its authority in pausing visa processing for 75 countries , saying a person’s nationality does not indicate they do not have the financial means to support themselves in the U.S.

The judge said that consular officers have the exclusive authority to evaluate visa applicants individually.