Media: U.S. suspends processing of immigrant visa applications

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has suspended the review of immigrant visa applications worldwide in order to train consular officers to screen out candidates who could potentially require government assistance.

This was reported by the Financial Times (FT), citing sources.

The department has launched a "global training initiative" so that consular officers can "evaluate every applicant comprehensively and consistently," a State Department representative told the newspaper. The department added that "visa applicants must not become a public charge, as defined by U.S. law and regulations, and must not depend on government benefits intended for Americans in need."

According to the FT, applicants for immigrant visas who had been scheduled for interviews at U.S. embassies and consulates received emails notifying them that their appointments had been postponed. In addition, they were told that they would be notified of new interview dates later. The State Department did not say when immigrant visa appointments would resume.

In January, the State Department suspended the issuance of immigrant visas to citizens of 75 countries, including Russians.

The list of countries covered by the restrictions included, in addition to Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Brazil, Georgia, Egypt, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Cuba, Syria, and Uzbekistan. As the American foreign policy agency told TASS earlier, the U.S. authorities suspended the immigrant visa issuance process in order to avoid approving entry into the country for those who could subsequently become a "burden" on the American people. Last week, the District Court of New York overturned Trump's ban on accepting applications from immigrants from 75 countries.

Source: TASS