On 25 August 2026, a State Department official confirmed that the agency had paused immigrant visa interview appointments at U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide. Applicants with interviews already on the calendar have been receiving notices that their appointments are cancelled and will be rescheduled later. The Financial Times reported the cancellation emails the same day, and Reuters reported the pause shortly after.
The stated reason
The Department attributes the pause to a global training initiative for consular officers, launched in early August, covering updated public charge screening guidance. Public charge screening is the assessment of whether a person seeking to immigrate is likely to become primarily dependent on government assistance.
The Department has not announced how long the pause will last, whether every consular post is affected in the same way, or a firm date for resuming normal scheduling. A State Department official told the Associated Press the pause was expected to be temporary and was not expected to extend beyond early to mid-September, but no restart date has been published.
Who is affected
The pause applies to immigrant visa applicants processing at consulates abroad. That includes many family-sponsored and employment-based green card applicants going through consular processing.
Nonimmigrant visa categories are not part of this action. Tourist, student and temporary work visa appointments continue, though some posts have separately rescheduled nonimmigrant appointments for their own reasons.
Adjustment of status inside the United States is not paused. USCIS continues to adjudicate Form I-485 applications.
What sits behind it
Two things are happening at once, and it is worth keeping them separate.
First, the pause follows a federal court decision on 21 August 2026 vacating a separate State Department policy that had suspended immigrant visa issuance to nationals of 75 countries. The Department has not linked the training to that ruling.
Second, a new Department of Homeland Security public charge policy takes effect for adjustment of status applications on 18 September 2026. The State Department has not said the training is preparation for that framework. State Department policy for immigrant visa applicants has historically tracked DHS policy for adjustment applicants, so the timing has drawn attention, but the Department has not confirmed a connection.
What this does not mean
A cancelled or postponed interview is a scheduling action. It is not a denial, and it is not a cancellation of the underlying immigrant visa case. Applicants should keep contact information current with the National Visa Center, watch for communications from the post handling their case, and continue completing pre-interview requirements unless a post instructs otherwise.
The practical cost is time. Even a short pause creates a backlog, because posts have to work through postponed appointments after resuming while also applying whatever the new training changes.
