The Trump administration on Tuesday temporarily suspended all U.S. Visa appointments across the globe while it starts a worldwide training programme for consular officers – the latest bit of uncertainty for U.S. Immigration policy and a skilled-worker visa overhaul.
A State Department spokesperson said the training is designed to improve visa applicant screening but she provided no information on when appointments would resume, Reuters reported.
Visa applicants with upcoming interviews will likely be notified about the changes. This latest policy development from the Trump administration comes amidst a broad immigration crackdown that has included harsher security screening, visa revocations and attempts to clamp down on legal immigration, and amid increasing anxiety about President Trump’s proposed changes to the H-1B visa programme, which American companies largely use to recruit foreign-born professionals.
A proposal to jack up fees and the application process for this programme faced significant pushback from businesses and was challenged legally by some industry groups, Democratic lawmakers, and Democratic-majority states. All visa applicants should be informed by the State Department whether they need to take further action, and all applicants outside the United States will be affected.
All previous attempts at a ban this summer on visa processing for 75 countries were rejected by a judge, as they will be again.
