The U.S. State Department has paused immigrant visa interviews at embassies and consulates worldwide, with no date announced for when normal scheduling will resume. Here is what that means if you or a family member has a case pending abroad.
On August 25, the State Department confirmed it has paused immigrant visa interview appointments at U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide while consular officers complete a global training initiative on public charge screening. Applicants with interviews already on the calendar are receiving notices that their appointments are canceled and will be rescheduled at a later date.
A canceled or rescheduled interview does not mean a petition has been denied or abandoned. It means the appointment itself is moving, and as of today, no nationwide date has been announced for when normal scheduling will resume.
What This Covers
Paused: Immigrant visa interviews abroad, the pathway used by family-sponsored and employment-based applicants completing their green card process at a consulate outside the United States.
Not affected: Tourist, student, and temporary work visas such as the H-1B, and adjustment of status applications filed with USCIS inside the United States.
The timing lines up with two other recent changes. On July 20, DHS rescinded the 2022 public charge rule, and USCIS issued new guidance on August 18 that takes effect September 18, meaning officers will be able to weigh a wider range of public benefits when deciding green card cases filed on or after that date. Separately, a federal court struck down a policy on August 21 that had suspended immigrant visa issuance for applicants from 75 countries, Haiti among them. The interview pause follows just days after that ruling.
There is early movement: on September 2, the State Department resumed Diversity Visa issuance specifically. That suggests the pause is starting to lift in pieces rather than all at once, though it has not been extended to immigrant visa interviews broadly.
A State Department spokesperson said the pause is part of an in-depth training effort so that "appointments for visa and services will be adjusted" as officers apply the updated screening standard.
State Department spokesperson, in a statement to The Hill
Immigration attorneys have pushed back on the pause, arguing that applicants who completed every step the government asked of them, including security vetting, are now facing open-ended delays with no timeline. The American Immigration Lawyers Association has said the uncertainty is having a real impact on families waiting to reunite.
Confirm your status directly with your consulate or the National Visa Center rather than assuming your original appointment date still holds. Hold onto any cancellation or rescheduling notice you receive, and avoid making irreversible travel plans until your consulate confirms a new date.
Note: Diversity Visa 2026 Selectees
This matters more for you than most other categories: your visa or adjustment of status must be completed by September 30, 2026, with no carryover. A delay from this pause is worth raising with an attorney sooner rather than later.
Every case is different, and how this pause affects yours depends on your category, your consulate, and where you are in the process.
DeMine Immigration Law Firm
Our team can help you understand where your case stands and what to prepare for while you wait.
Schedule a Consultation →Individual immigration cases depend on each person's specific circumstances and should be evaluated individually. This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.