What is the ‘public charge’ rule the government is using as a pretext to pause immigrant visa interviews?

Due to the introduction of an updated "public charge" rule, immigration interviews around the globe have been halted for thousands of prospective immigrants. The U.S. State Department is scheduling these rescheduled sessions for later this year, aiming to ensure thorough and uniform evaluations of applicants. This policy primarily impacts those seeking to join family members or migrate through sponsors, even though the government assures it aims to prevent reliance on government assistance programs like Medicaid and SNAP.

However, the process has faced legal challenges, with federal courts blocking previous attempts to apply the rule to entire groups. Applicants have invested significant time and resources into gathering documents and preparing for interviews, only to have their plans disrupted. The State Department is currently providing training to officials to comply with the new guidelines, which will take effect in September.