The United States has paused immigrant visa appointments worldwide. Find out who is affected, what happens to interviews, and what to do.
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The U.S. State Department confirmed on August 26, 2026, a global pause in immigrant visa appointments at U.S. embassies and consulates. The measure is related to a global training initiative for consular officers and has resulted in adjustments and rescheduling of interviews.
The State Department announced a global training initiative for consular officers. As part of this process, visa service appointments are being adjusted. This does not mean that the United States has suspended all visas or all immigration processes.
In the case of immigrant visas, this has resulted in a global pause in interviews. According to the information released, the training aims to ensure that officials are prepared to evaluate applicants comprehensively and consistently, including aspects related to the possibility of an individual becoming a public charge after entering the United States.
The pause comes amid recent changes in immigration assessment policies, but does not in itself constitute a new immigration ban or eliminate existing immigrant visa categories.
The reason given by the State Department is the training of consular officers.
The stated objective is to strengthen the application of the criteria used to reject applicants who are considered likely to depend on U.S. public benefits and to ensure a “comprehensive and consistent” evaluation of visa applicants.
For now, there is no official end date for the pause. Therefore, any estimates about when interviews will resume as normal should be treated with caution.
The pause primarily affects people who are outside the United States and are going through a consular process to obtain an immigrant visa.
It may include:
It is important to remember that an approved petition does not mean that the person already has an immigrant visa or that they can travel immediately.
In many processes, after the petition is approved, the case goes to the National Visa Center (NVC) to complete stages such as payment of fees, submission and review of documents and, when applicable, coordination of the interview with the embassy or consulate.
Therefore, the specific impact will depend on the stage at which each case is found.
Applicants who already had an immigrant visa interview scheduled may receive a notification indicating that their appointment will be rescheduled.
Reports published on August 26 indicate that those affected will receive information about their new dates.
If you receive a notification about a change to your appointment, you should follow the specific instructions from the embassy, consulate, or NVC, as applicable.
In addition, a rescheduled interview This does not equate to a visa refusal. This is a change in the interview schedule and not a final decision on immigration eligibility.
You must wait until immigrant visa appointment scheduling resumes and also check the status of your application. Therefore, we recommend consulting directly with the attorney handling your case.
The pause in interviews does not mean you should abandon the other stages of your process. If the NVC has requested documents, forms, payments, or additional information, continue to fulfill those requests.
Keeping your file prepared can help you be ready when interview availability becomes available again.
From that stage onwards, scheduling the interview depends on factors such as the availability of the consular office and, in certain categories, the availability of visas according to the Visa Bulletin.
The pause may result in an additional wait, but it does not mean that the case has been cancelled.
The pause in interviews does not mean you should abandon the other stages of your process. It is advisable to periodically review official communications and keep your contact information and documents up to date.
It is also important to avoid assuming that an estimated date or information posted on social media is equivalent to a confirmed appointment.
If the NVC has requested documents, forms, payments, or additional information from you, continue to comply with those requests.
Keeping your file prepared can help you be ready when interview availability becomes available again.
This point is fundamental:
An immigrant visa is not the same as a general U.S. visa.
Immigrant visas are generally intended for people seeking to settle permanently in the United States.
Nonimmigrant visas, on the other hand, are for temporary travel. These include:
Tourism and business.
Students.
For temporary workers, exchange visitors and various purposes of temporary stay.
Therefore, the pause announced specifically for immigrant visa appointments should not be presented as a worldwide suspension of appointments for tourist, student, or temporary work visas.
These categories may be subject to other policies or independent changes, but should not be confused with the measure announced on August 26.
If you have a consular process underway, consider these recommendations:
Communications regarding changes to appointments may be sent to the address registered during the process.
Review the information from the State Department and the embassy or consulate handling your case.
If the NVC requests additional information or documentation, continue to comply with those requests.
A prolonged wait may make it necessary to update certain documents before the interview.
If your case has particular or urgent circumstances, it may be advisable to consult with an immigration lawyer or a qualified professional.
Immigrant visa and Green Card are related, but they are not exactly the same.
A person outside the United States can apply for an immigrant visa through consular processing. If the visa is approved and the person is admitted to the United States, they can enter as a lawful permanent resident.
Later, you will receive the Green Card, which physically certifies that status.
For this reason, a pause in consular interviews may affect the timeline for certain processes leading to permanent residency through consular processing. It does not mean, however, that all Green Card applications are suspended.
It is also important to differentiate this procedure from Adjustment of Status using Form I-485. A person who is already in the United States and seeks to adjust their status follows a different process than someone who applies for an immigrant visa from abroad.
As of August 26, 2026, the State Department has not announced a specific date to resume immigrant visa appointments.
Available information indicates that the pause is related to the global training of consular officers and that interviews are being adjusted or rescheduled. It has not been publicly announced how long the measure will remain in effect.
The measure represents a significant change for those awaiting an immigrant visa interview through consular processing, primarily because it may cause delays at this stage of the process.
But its scope must be understood correctly: it is not a general cancellation of immigration to the United States nor a suspension of all US visas.
If you have an ongoing process, identify what stage your case is at, keep your documentation up to date, and pay attention to communications from the NVC and the relevant embassy or consulate.
In AsisVisa We can guide you through your immigration process and help you understand what the next steps are, depending on the characteristics of your case.
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