US Department of State announces temporary suspension of immigrant visa applications

The US Department of State has announced that all immigrant visa applications have been suspended and appointments will be rescheduled in order to implement the public charge criterion more strictly.

Consular appointments are being rescheduled

Applicants with immigrant visa interviews at US embassies and consulates have begun to be notified that their appointments will be moved to a later date.

While officials stated that new appointment dates and times will be shared in the future, they did not provide a clear timeline for when interviews will resume.

Public charge criterion to be applied more strictly

The Department stated that the new policy aims to more comprehensively examine the likelihood of applicants becoming dependent on US public assistance in the future.

It was announced that a global training program has been launched to ensure consular officers evaluate applications consistently.

Court ruling and recent developments

This new decision was announced immediately after a federal court struck down the Trump administration's policy of halting immigrant applications from 75 low-income countries.

US District Judge Jeannette Vargas had ruled that the policy in question interfered with the authority granted to consular officers by Congress.

Trump administration's immigration policies

It is known that numerous restrictive measures were taken regarding entry into the US and immigration policies during the Trump administration.

Prioritizing the fight against irregular migration, the administration had imposed various limitations on visa and Green Card processes while also largely halting refugee admissions.