The United States has temporarily paused immigrant-visa appointments at embassies and consulates around the world, disrupting interviews for people seeking to move permanently to the U.S. as consular officers undergo new training.
The State Department says the training is intended to strengthen and standardize how officers determine whether immigrant-visa applicants could become dependent on government benefits after arriving in the United States. Applicants with interviews already scheduled have been notified that their appointments will be rescheduled.
The pause applies to immigrant visas, which are generally used by people seeking permanent residence in the United States. It should not be confused with the much broader category of nonimmigrant visas used by tourists, students, temporary workers and many business travelers.
The new training centers on the government’s enforcement of the longstanding “public charge” provision of U.S. immigration law. Earlier this month, the State Department also announced a program allowing consular officers in some cases to require certain immigrant-visa applicants to post bonds of at least $5,000 when officers determine they could become a public charge.
For people already moving through the legal immigration process, the immediate consequence is uncertainty. The State Department has not announced how long the worldwide appointment pause will last, leaving applicants whose interviews are postponed waiting for new dates before their cases can move forward.
