The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has halted the scheduling of visa interviews for applicants from countries around the world as part of a global training program launched by the State Department.
A U.S. State Department representative said the program has been launched at U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide, while appointment times for visa services will be adjusted to take the training process into account.
The department has not specified how long the training will last or what details it involves. At the same time, it said the program is intended to help consular officers identify applicants who, in the authorities’ assessment, could become dependent on U.S. government benefits.
The State Department also said the change is intended to help ensure a “comprehensive and consistent” assessment of visa applicants.
The halt in visa interview scheduling is not related to any individual country but to a unified program underway at U.S. embassies and consulates around the world. This means the change applies simultaneously to people applying from different countries, while further adjustments to appointment times will depend on the progress of the training.
The stated aim of the program is not only to change the approach used by consular officers in assessing applicants, but also to make it more comprehensive and consistent, with particular attention to potential dependence on government benefits. At the same time, since the training period and details have not yet been made public, it remains unclear how long the suspension of interview scheduling will remain in place.
