US: Trump administration pauses all immigrant visa applications
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The Donald Trump administration in the United States has paused immigrant visa appointments across the world, stating that consular officials had to be trained to screen out applicants who may need public assistance in the country, the Financial Times reported.
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The US State Department has launched a global training initiative at all of the country’s embassies and consulates, an official was quoted as saying by the newspaper. Visa appointments would be adjusted to accommodate the training, he added.
Applicants who were slated for interviews at US embassies have received emails stating that their appointment would be rescheduled.
The training was aimed at helping officials identify applicants likely to become dependent on US public benefits, and at ensuring that visa applications are evaluated “comprehensively and consistently”, Reuters quoted the state department as saying.
The pause comes against the backdrop of the Trump administration seeking to tighten the rules for entry into the United States.
On Friday, a federal judge struck down a policy that would have suspended immigrant visas for applicants from 75 countries, including Pakistan and Bangladesh, Reuters reported. The court said that the policy exceeded the statutory authority of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Reuters reported.
The Trump administration is also planning to revoke business and tourist visas of about 2,00,000 foreigners seeking asylum status in the United States, reported...