The United States government has cancelled all scheduled immigrant visa interviews after placing a hold on immigrant visa processing, as reported by the Financial Times. Applicants who had already received confirmed interview dates were notified via email that their appointments had been scrapped, with new dates to be communicated at a later stage.
Reason Behind the Visa Interview Cancellations
According to the Guardian UK, officials from relevant US agencies said the pause aims to ensure that visa applicants would not end up depending on American public benefits after entering the country. This measure is part of a broader set of policies introduced by the Trump administration to tighten control over lawful entry into the United States.
The cancellations affect both applicants who had waited a long time for their interview slots and those who had recently received confirmed dates, creating fresh uncertainty for thousands of people in the immigration pipeline. The emails informed applicants that they would receive new dates and times at a later stage, though no specific timeline was provided.
Impact on Applicants and the Immigration System
The interview cancellations are one of several steps the Trump administration has taken to reshape the US immigration system. The broader strategy targets both documented and undocumented immigration, with the goal of making entry into the country more selective.
The pause on immigrant visas and the scrapping of interviews represent a significant disruption for applicants who had already invested time and resources into their applications, including gathering documentation and, in some cases, travelling to attend scheduled appointments. No date has been announced for when the visa interview process will resume or when affected applicants can expect to receive rescheduled appointments.
US Embassy in Nigeria Suspends Routine Visa Services
Legit.ng earlier reported that the United States Embassy in Nigeria announced a suspension of all routine nonimmigrant visa services, covering tourist, business, and petition-based nonimmigrant visas. The embassy made this known through its official X account on Monday, August 18, 2026, describing the move as a "realignment" of visa services.
No specific timeline for when normal services would resume was provided in the post. According to the embassy, the realignment covers all routine nonimmigrant visa services without exception, including tourist and business-related visas, as well as petition-based nonimmigrant visas, which are typically used by people seeking to work or carry out specialised activities in the United States.
