Donald Trump has halted all immigrant visa applications under his drive to bolster US national security.
The State Department said the pause had been put in place to launch a global training initiative at all US embassies and consulates worldwide.
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The new “in-depth” training aims to ensure visa applicants are “comprehensively and consistently” evaluated, but further details were not given by Washington.
The pause is also intended to prevent foreign nationals from becoming reliant on US tax-funded handouts.
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“A more prosperous America means ensuring that visa applicants are not likely to become a public charge, as defined under US law and regulation, and not likely to become dependent on US public benefits reserved for qualified Americans in need,” a State Department spokesman said.
It remains unclear when appointments for visa services will resume, but the State Department said applications had been “adjusted” to accommodate, with visas for tourism, business and education unaffected.
Over 20,000 Britons are believed to move to the US annually.
An Italian visa applicant said on social media she received an email confirming her appointment had been cancelled under the current pause.
In his second term in office, Mr Trump has spearheaded a major immigration crackdown, and has long decried how Joe Biden left the border with Mexico open.
He told GB News on the campaign trail he planned to “deport” all illegal migrants who have crossed the US-Mexico border before the 2024 election.
Earlier this week, the White House said it would revoke the visas of foreign nationals who arrived in the country for tourism or business but had since applied for asylum.
“Under President Trump and Secretary Rubio’s leadership, we are making clear that a visa is a privilege – not a right,” the State Department’s Tommy Pigott said in a statement.
The department said it was now working the Department of Homeland Security to identify and revoke the visas of “foreigners who have come to the United States claiming to be short-term visitors, but then file for asylum to stay here permanently”.
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“These types of visas are issued with the clear understanding that they are for those who intend to return home,” he added.
Last month, a similar “public charge” policy was implemented for green card applicants.
Visa applications have been rejected for a widening number of reasons under the national security crackdown, including for attendance of pro-Palestinian protests and minor criminal offences.
But the crackdown has faced legal setbacks, including a Friday ruling from a New York federal judge which struck down efforts to halt the issuance of visas to people applying from 75 countries.
Judge Jeannette A Vargas said in a 61-page ruling that there was “no just cause for a delay of entry”, disputing the claim that migrants from the swathe of countries – including US allies Jordan and Egypt – were likely to “unlawfully utilise welfare”.
Last year, he clamped down on the country’s borders after National Guardswoman Sarah Beckstrom was killed by Afghan Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who legally entered the country during the US’s evacuation.
The President first halted all asylum applications after it emerged Lakanwal was granted asylum in April 2025.
Mr Trump, in December, then paused all immigration applications from 19 countries considered high-risk.
That pause affected nationals from the likes of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia and Venezuela.
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