The State Department has temporarily rescheduled immigrant visa interviews worldwide while consular officers complete new training. The disruption has created uncertainty for applicants awaiting family- and employment-based visas, especially those who made costly travel arrangements for their interviews.
Immigrant visa applicants at multiple U.S. embassies and consulates received notices around August 24 and August 25, 2026, saying their interviews would be rescheduled. The State Department told major news outlets that it launched a global training initiative in early August and would adjust visa appointments to accommodate the sessions.
The training is intended to help consular officers evaluate applicants under the department’s approach to the public charge provision of immigration law. That provision allows officers to find an intending immigrant inadmissible if the person is considered likely to depend on public assistance in the United States.
The verified disruption centers on immigrant visas. Reports describing a confirmed worldwide cancellation of nonimmigrant appointments, including F-1 student and H-1B worker interviews, have not been supported by the strongest available official and independent reporting. Local disruptions may still occur, so applicants should follow instructions from the embassy or consulate handling their case.
The State Department announced on August 5, 2026, that certain immigrant visa applicants may be required to seek a public charge bond after an initial denial under the relevant immigration law. The department said a bond could provide an additional way for an otherwise eligible applicant to address public charge concerns.
The appointment changes also followed an August 21, 2026, federal court decision that struck down a separate State Department policy suspending immigrant visa issuance for nationals of 75 countries. The court found that the blanket nationality-based policy exceeded the secretary of state’s authority and improperly displaced the individualized decisions assigned to consular officers.
The court ruling did not eliminate the public charge provision itself. Consular officers may continue assessing factors specified in immigration law, including an applicant’s age, health, family circumstances, financial resources, education and skills.
Applicants should rely on direct consular notices rather than assume that every interview has been canceled. Those receiving a rescheduling email should monitor their registered account, email inbox and spam folder for a replacement date. They should not make irreversible travel plans until the appointment is reconfirmed.
International students and temporary workers should distinguish this development from the immigrant visa process. Unless their embassy sends a cancellation notice, F-1, J-1, H-1B and other nonimmigrant applicants should continue preparing for their scheduled interviews. The State Department had not announced a universal date for normal immigrant visa interviews to resume as of August 25, 2026.
This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Applicants with urgent deadlines or complicated immigration histories should consult a qualified immigration attorney.