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The United States (US) has paused immigrant visa applications under new measures by the President Donald Trump administration to tighten immigration screening.
A US State Department official confirmed the move on Tuesday, saying the initiative began at American embassies and consulates in early August.
The department said consular officers needed “in-depth training” to strengthen their assessment of visa applicants.
The updated guidance is targeted at ensuring officers can evaluate applicants “comprehensively and consistently”, the official said.
Applicants who had already secured interview appointments were reportedly informed that their appointments had been cancelled and would be rescheduled.
The move is intended to prevent immigrants from becoming dependent on US public benefits and forms part of Trump’s wider immigration crackdown.
The administration has also announced plans to revoke visas for some asylum seekers who initially entered the US on tourist or business visas.
Up to 200,000 asylum seekers could be affected by the plan, which could become the largest mass visa revocation exercise in US history.
The latest action follows increased scrutiny of visa applicants, including checks of social media histories and higher processing costs.
The Trump administration previously suspended immigrant visa processing for applicants from 75 countries under a similar “public charge” policy.
However, a US judge recently overturned that measure.
Reacting to the ruling, Joanna Cuevas Ingram, senior staff attorney at the National Immigration Law Centre, said, “The court made clear that immigration laws cannot be used to justify discrimination.”
Also, Brian Simmons, an immigration lawyer at Fragomen, said many affected applicants had “spent thousands of dollars and disrupted their lives” before their interviews were cancelled.
The State Department has not said when it will reschedule the cancelled appointments, leaving applicants uncertain about their immigration plans.
