The US postpones residence visa interviews at all its consulates

The United States State Department has ordered a pause in residence visa interviews conducted at all its consulates worldwide. This decision is temporarily halting appointments for individuals applying for permanent residency overseas while consular officers undergo a training program focused on admissibility criteria. A department spokesperson explained that the training is necessary to ensure visa applicants do not become a public charge, as defined by US law and regulation.

The duration of the training and the resumption of regular scheduling have not been specified. The measure primarily impacts family and employment-based residence applicants who process their cases through a consulate. Although no general suspension of non-immigrant visas for tourism, business, or study has been confirmed, the official language remains vague, referring to "visa services" broadly.

Those with confirmed appointments have been notified through email, without alternative dates being provided. At the US embassy in Bogotá, queues formed outside as people sought information about their canceled appointments. Public charge inadmissibility, already part of US immigration law, is being emphasized more during this process.

This directive is part of a series of recent measures. On August 5, the State Department announced a program enabling consular officers to request specific applicants to post a public charge bond, which in some cases could override a finding of inadmissibility. In July, the administration proposed significant new fees for certain work visas.

The postponement occurs four days after federal judge Jeannette Vargas ruled on August 21 that the State Department lacked legal authority to suspend the issuance of immigrant visas to applicants from 75 countries. The judge found the policy to be based on the public charge criterion and without legal backing. Human rights organizations have criticized the administration's immigration measures as discriminatory and in violation of due process rights.