US pauses immigrant visa appointments worldwide amid Trump crackdown

The Trump administration has paused and rescheduled immigrant visa appointments worldwide to conduct a global training initiative for consular officers. The State Department announced the training aims to ensure consistent evaluations and screen out applicants likely to become a public charge. This disruption is part of a broader immigration crackdown, which includes plans to revoke up to 200,000 tourist visas and propose a $103,265 fee for H-1B work visas, even as federal courts strike down other restrictive policies.

Global visa appointment pause

• ▪The State Department did not specify a timeline for when normal visa appointment scheduling would resume
• ▪The Trump administration paused immigrant visa appointments worldwide on August 25, 2026, to accommodate a global training initiative for consular officers
• ▪Immigrant visa applicants with scheduled interviews at U.S. embassies and consulates received emails stating that their appointments were being rescheduled to future, unspecified dates

Trump immigration crackdown

• ▪The Trump administration has pursued an aggressive deportation drive and immigration crackdown during Donald Trump's second term, which began in January 2025
• ▪The State Department reported that since January 2025, approximately 175,000 foreigners have had their U.S. visas revoked for reasons ranging from criminal offenses to political expressions
• ▪The Trump administration plans to revoke the tourist and business visas of up to 200,000 foreigners who entered the U.S. as temporary visitors but subsequently applied for asylum

Consular training initiative

• ▪The State Department stated that the training initiative is designed to ensure consular officers evaluate every visa applicant comprehensively and consistently
• ▪The global training initiative launched by the State Department aims to equip consular officers to screen out visa applicants deemed likely to become a public charge or dependent on U.S. public benefits

H-1B visa fee proposal

• ▪The Trump administration is proposing a new regulatory fee of $103,265 for H-1B visa petitions filed by private employers for workers selected in the annual lottery
• ▪Indian-born workers made up 70 percent of approved H-1B visa recipients in fiscal year 2025, making them the group most affected by changes to the H-1B program
• ▪The proposed $103,265 H-1B fee would apply to workers already inside the United States, unlike a previous $100,000 fee proclamation that was struck down by a federal judge in June

Legal challenges to visa policies

• ▪The federal court ruled that the suspension of immigrant visas from 75 countries exceeded the statutory authority of Secretary of State Marco Rubio
• ▪On August 21, 2026, a federal judge struck down a Trump administration policy that suspended the issuance of immigrant visas to nationals from 75 countries

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