The United States has temporarily paused visa applications from foreign nationals worldwide as its embassies and consulates prepare for new screening procedures designed to identify applicants who could potentially place a burden on the US social welfare system.
The administration of President Donald Trump said US embassy and consular staff would first undergo training to help them better identify applicants considered undesirable under the new approach. A US State Department spokesperson confirmed that visa services had been temporarily paused while officials prepared for the new screening requirements.
The move has already disrupted planned visa interviews. According to reports cited by the Financial Times, some applicants have received emails informing them that scheduled interviews had been postponed indefinitely. Embassies and consulates reportedly told applicants that new appointments would be announced in future emails, leaving many without a clear timetable for when their applications can proceed.
The administration is also reportedly planning to revoke up to 200,000 business and tourist visas, according to multiple media reports. The scale of the proposed action adds another dimension to an increasingly restrictive US immigration and visa policy, affecting not only prospective migrants but also foreign nationals seeking to travel to the United States for business or tourism.
The latest suspension comes amid a broader tightening of immigration controls under Trump. His administration has increased forced deportations and introduced tighter restrictions on visa issuance, while also revoking existing visas. Authorities have focused particularly on people from certain countries and individuals whose political views are considered incompatible with the administration’s policies. Among those affected have been pro-Palestinian activists whose residence permits were withdrawn.
Trump has repeatedly defended his tougher immigration policies, arguing that they are necessary to make the United States safer. Human rights organisations, however, have condemned the measures as discriminatory. The increasingly contested policies have also prompted legal challenges, with several courts becoming involved in disputes over the administration’s immigration and visa measures.
In a recent ruling on Friday, a US federal court found that a blanket visa suspension imposed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on applicants from 75 countries was “obviously unlawful”. The policy sought to deny visas categorically to people from certain countries, including countries in Latin America and the Middle East.
The administration had justified that measure by arguing that applicants from those countries presented a high risk of becoming a burden on the US welfare system. The latest worldwide pause in visa processing, while framed as a training and screening measure, therefore comes against the backdrop of an expanding effort by the Trump administration to place stricter conditions on who can enter and remain in the United States.
The immediate consequence is uncertainty for visa applicants around the world, as US diplomatic missions prepare for the new screening procedures and applicants wait for further instructions on when their interviews and applications can resume.
