The Trump administration has suspended immigrant visa applications globally. The measure, as reported by several American media after the preview of Financial Timeswill serve to allow “in-depth training” of consular officials.
The goal is to strengthen controls and identify applicants who, once they arrive in the United States, may need public assistance. The consequences are already visible: in recent days, people who had a scheduled interview at US embassies and consulates around the world received an email notifying them of the postponement of the appointment.
What will “the break” do?
The State Department said it launched “a comprehensive training initiative” this month, intended to ensure that all consular officials are fully prepared to evaluate each visa application completely and uniformly.
The suspension is part of Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration. The US president has made the fight against irregular entries one of the central elements of his policy, but at the same time he has also introduced new limits for visas and “green cards” and has put an end to almost all refugee relocation programmes. The pause will help train officials to identify those who may be dependent on public aid. Interviews already scheduled in US embassies and consulates have been postponed.
The new measure also comes a few days after a decision unfavorable to the administration. Last week, a federal judge annulled the ban imposed by Trump on visa applications submitted by citizens from 75 countries. The suspension now affects immigrant visa applications globally, ostensibly to allow for training of officials responsible for processing them.