The Trump administration has directed embassies and consulates to pause immigrant visa interviews while officers complete new training.
The training centers on public-charge guidance, which can make a visa applicant inadmissible under federal immigration laws.
“In early August, we launched a global training initiative at all of our embassies and consulates worldwide. To accommodate this in-depth training, appointments for visa services will be adjusted,” a State Department official said in a statement to Fox News. They added that the training will ensure assessments of visa applicants are made “comprehensively and consistently.”
The development comes as the State Department is prepared to pause as many as 200,000 visas held by foreigners who officials believe gamed the system and entered the nation as tourists or business travelers, only to file asylum claims and stay permanently. The initiative targets holders of B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 who later applied for asylum.
Earlier this year, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it would scrutinize those it perceived to hold extremist views, such as “terrorist ideologies, expressing hatred for American values, advocating for the violent overthrow of the United States government, or providing material support to terrorist organizations.”
USCIS previously shared updated policies to address instances where illegal immigrants request parole and requires officers to exercise discretion in matters involving any “anti-American or terrorist organizations.”
“USCIS is updating the Policy Manual to provide additional guidance for officers on the significant negative discretionary weight USCIS assigns in circumstances where an alien has endorsed, promoted, supported, or otherwise espoused the views of a terrorist organization or group, including those who support or promote anti American ideologies or activities, antisemitic terrorism, antisemitic terrorist organizations, and antisemitic ideologies, in any case involving an exercise of discretion,” the guidance sheet read.
