The US has halted all immigrant visa applications as the Trump administration moves to tighten restrictions and stop people arriving who will need public benefits.
The state department launched the initiative in early August at all of its embassies and consulates. Visa appointments had to be adjusted to accommodate ‘in-depth training’.
Since the beginning of this year, the state department has been pushing through updated guidance and training ‘to ensure all consular officers are fully equipped to evaluate every visa applicant comprehensively and consistently’.
The Financial Times reported that applicants with interviews already scheduled were sent emails saying their appointments had been cancelled
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