The U.S. Department of State has temporarily paused immigrant visa appointments at U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide while consular officers undergo new training concerning the assessment of whether immigrant visa applicants are likely to become a “public charge.” The State Department has not announced how long the pause will remain in effect or when normal appointment scheduling will resume.
The pause applies to immigrant visa (i.e., green card) processing, including employment-based and family-based immigrant visa applicants seeking permanent residence through consular processing. The measure does not implement a worldwide pause on nonimmigrant (i.e., temporary) visa appointments, such as H-1B, L-1, O-1, F-1, E or B-1/B-2 visa appointments.
The new policy comes shortly after a federal court struck down a separate State Department policy that had suspended immigrant visa issuance for nationals of 75 countries based on public-benefits concerns. The worldwide appointment pause instead appears designed to permit additional training of consular officers concerning the public-charge analysis before immigrant visa interviews proceed.
The pause also follows the administration’s announcement that it plans to revoke visas for asylum seekers who entered the country for short-term tourist or business purposes. This policy would affect up to 200,000 applicants for asylum and would constitute the largest visa revocation in the history of the U.S.
What Immigrant Visa Applicants Should Know
Applicants with upcoming immigrant visa interviews should closely monitor communications from the National Visa Center and the U.S. embassy or consulate. Because the State Department has not announced a timeline for resuming appointments, the pause will likely result in delays in immigrant visa issuance.
The immigration attorneys at Ryan Swanson will continue monitoring State Department guidance regarding the duration of the pause and the resumption of immigrant visa appointments. Please contact our office if you have any questions or need assistance with your immigrant visa case.
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