Politics

USA suspends processing of visa applications

The US has temporarily halted processing immigration visa applications worldwide to train staff at embassies and consulates.

26 August 2026Tagblick Newsdesk

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Archive photo: USA suspends processing of visa applications — Archive photoPhoto: User:Mattes · Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

The US government has temporarily suspended the processing of immigration visa applications. This affects applications from all countries and was announced in a statement by the US Department of State, reports the Financial Times.

According to this statement, the measure was implemented to better train staff at American embassies and consulates. The aim is to improve the assessment of applicants and to identify those who may rely on government assistance after immigration.

The suspension does not affect tourist visas, for which applications can still be submitted. This regulation follows a ruling in August that declared the previous suspension of immigration visas for some countries illegal, although it still allowed applicants to submit their applications since January 2026.

Details regarding the duration of this training phase and further procedures have not yet been released. It has, however, been announced that applicants who had already scheduled interviews are not affected by this suspension.

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