US halts visa appointments worldwide amid Trump’s immigration crackdown

The United States (US) government has reportedly paused visa appointments around the world as part of an ongoing immigration crackdown championed by President Donald Trump. According to a report by reuters.com, the worldwide pause in the issuance of visas was announced by a US State Department spokesperson on Tuesday, August 25, 2026. The spokesperson is reported to have said that the pause is due to a global training initiative at all US embassies and consulates worldwide. The State Department added that appointments for visa services are being adjusted to accommodate the training. It further stated that the department indicated that the training was aimed at helping consular officers screen out applicants deemed likely to become dependent on US public benefits and to ensure that visa applicants are evaluated "comprehensively and consistently", without giving any deadlines. The report indicated that affected visa applicants had been notified about the postponement of their visa appointments to dates yet to be scheduled. “The pause on visa appointments was reported earlier by the Financial Times, which said immigrant visa applicants with scheduled interviews at US embassies and consulates have received emails that their appointments were being rescheduled and that they would receive future notice of a new date,” parts of the Reuters report read. Meanwhile, a federal court in the United States (US) has reportedly reversed the suspension of immigrant visas to Ghana and 25 other African countries. According to a report by DWTV, the federal judge who presided over the case, Judge Jeannette Vargas of the Southern District of New York, ruled that the policy was illegal. US court overturns Trump's immigrant visa ban on Ghana, 25 other African countries She also ruled that the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, abused his power in implementing the policy. "A US federal judge has overturned a Trump administration policy that suspended immigrant visas to 75 countries - including 26 African nations. Judge Jeannette Vargas of the Southern District of New York ruled the policy 'patently unlawful' and said it exceeded Secretary of State Marco Rubio's authority," it added. The report stated that the suspension of immigrant visas, which took effect on January 21, 2026, had blocked visa issuance because applicants from the affected countries were at "high risk for becoming a public charge" on US welfare systems. The African countries affected included Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Rwanda and DR Congo, among others. Some of the non-African countries affected include Somalia, Russia, Iran, Afghanistan, Brazil and Thailand, among others. BAI/VPO Government upholds revocation of Adamus Mine lease Source: www.ghanaweb.com
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