State Department Pauses Immigrant Visa Appointments Worldwide, Officials Say

The State Department has paused immigrant visa interview appointments at U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide, leaving applicants without confirmed dates for their rescheduled interviews.

On August 25, 2026, a department spokesperson told the Financial Times that visa-service appointments would be pushed back as the agency launched a global training initiative for consular officers. This is meant to help officers screen out applicants likely to become dependent on U.S. public benefits and evaluate cases “comprehensively and consistently.”

The State Department says the training initiative began in early August, and appointments are being adjusted to accommodate it as it continues. On social media, many users are already reporting their interviews being pushed back.

Earlier this month, a U.S. judge vacated a different policy that suspended immigrant visa issuance to applicants from 75 countries, ruling that it exceeded Secretary of State Marco Rubio's statutory authority.

Who is affected by this immigrant visa pause?

The pause concerns foreign nationals who:

• Have an immigrant visa interview scheduled at a U.S. embassy or consulate worldwide.
• Are pursuing a family-based immigrant visa, such as a relative of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.
• Are pursuing an employment-based immigrant visa through consular processing abroad.

Applicants with scheduled interviews are getting emails saying their appointments are being rescheduled, with a new date to follow later. Nonimmigrant visas, including H-1B, student and tourist visas, are not part of this pause.

How should foreign nationals abroad prepare?

Manifest immigration attorney Ana Gabriela Urizar says foreign nationals who are not filing for a Green Card outside the U.S. should not panic. “This only affects immigrant visa applicants abroad, and we don’t know if this is only a temporary pause,” she says. “In the meantime, I recommend people monitor the news for more information.”

This is a developing story. We’ll continue to update this article as more information gets released.