United States: State Department Temporarily Pauses Immigrant Visa Interviews Worldwide
August 26, 2026
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At a glance
- Immigrant visa interviews at U.S. embassies and consulates abroad are being cancelled due to a temporary pause imposed by the State Department.
- According to press reports, the purpose of the pause is to provide officer training on public charge assessments.
- The likely duration of the pause is not known.
The issue
The State Department has temporarily paused immigrant visa interviews at U.S. embassies and consulates abroad while it conducts training for consular officers on public charge guidance.
Applicants with scheduled interviews have begun receiving notices that their appointments are cancelled and will be rescheduled. The State Department has not announced how long the pause will last or when interviews will resume. Current reports do not indicate that the pause covers nonimmigrant visas.
The State Department has not provided information on the expected duration of this temporary pause, nor how quickly postponed appointments will be rescheduled. It is also not known whether the pause affects applicants who have completed interviews but have not yet received their immigrant visas. Pre-interview processing of an immigrant visa application should continue, however.
Background
According to press reports, the State Department says the training underlying the immigrant visa interview pause will help consular officers consistently evaluate whether an immigrant visa applicant is likely to become a public charge or depend on U.S. public benefits. Public-charge determinations consider the totality of an applicant’s circumstances, including age, health, family status, financial resources, and education and skills.
The worldwide pause in immigrant visa interviews follows an August 21 federal court decision vacating a separate State Department policy that had suspended immigrant visa issuance for nationals of 75 countries based on public charge concerns. The State Department has not linked the new training initiative to that ruling.
A new DHS public charge policy will take effect for adjustment of status applications on September 18, 2026. The State Department has not linked the new training to preparation for a new framework; however, State Department policy for immigrant visa applicants is likely to align with the new DHS policy for adjustment of status applications. There is no pause on the adjudication of adjustment of status adjudications by USCIS.
What the pause means for immigrant visa applicants
Immigrant visa applicants should monitor communications from the relevant embassy or consulate and should continue completing any pre-interview immigrant visa application requirements unless instructed otherwise. Interview delays will mean delays in issuance of the immigrant visa and entry to the United States as a lawful permanent resident. Even a short pause could produce longer delays as consular posts work through postponed appointments and apply the new training.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen.
