- The worldwide immigrant visa interview pause continues at many posts, with no broad restart date announced.
- Hungary and Poland resumed processing in September, but their resumption is not worldwide and does not establish formal exemptions.
- Applicants should prepare relevant records and wait for written appointment confirmation before making travel or relocation plans.
The State Department’s worldwide pause on immigrant visa interviews continues at many U.S. embassies and consulates, while some posts circulate public-charge guidance. The department has not set a broad restart date. Some posts have resumed processing.
The halt began in August and affects people seeking immigrant visas through consular posts abroad, including family, employment and diversity visa applicants. Nonimmigrant visas and adjustment-of-status applications filed inside the United States are outside the pause. Delays vary by post.
An update dated November 3, 2026 came after an earlier expectation that the suspension would end by early to mid-September. That window passed. No public State Department announcement of the worldwide interview pause was found.
Practitioners describe a training process at each post using materials from Washington, followed by a visit from an officer who certifies that training is complete. They say the process could take months. Applicants should rely on notices from their own consulate or the National Visa Center, rather than assume that a pause at one post applies everywhere.
Applicants abroad face delays, but post status varies
The pause covers family-based, employment-based and diversity visa cases being processed overseas. The circulated preparation material also addresses family cases, employment-based applicants and EB-5 investors. Its coverage does not establish that any of those groups are exempt from the appointment delays.
Hungary and Poland resumed processing in early September. That does not establish a formal exemption for either post, or signal a worldwide restart. The department has not provided a complete list of posts or visa categories exempt from the training-related pause.
H-1B, F-1 and B-1/B-2 applications are not included, and the suspension does not stop domestic adjustment-of-status filings with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. In most cases, the file remains active; the interview step is what cannot be scheduled.
A separate pause on immigrant visa issuance to nationals of 75 countries ended after a federal court in the Southern District of New York vacated the policy on August 21, 2026. The department said on August 28, 2026, that this issuance pause was no longer in effect. That court action addressed a different policy, not the training-related appointment delays.
The addendum previews questions, not a required document list
Some applicants and immigration practitioners have received an Immigrant Visa Interview Preparation Addendum from consulates. It offers examples of subjects an officer may raise. The questions can differ, and the material is not a mandatory checklist of documents.
Topics include:
- Where the applicant plans to live and what work they expect to do.
- Household circumstances, income, assets and debts.
- Health insurance options and past or expected use of public benefits.
- In family cases, the role of any joint sponsor.
Applicants should be ready to explain their circumstances and support answers with relevant records, without assuming every example will be asked in every interview.
DHS public-charge rules do not govern consular decisions
The Department of Homeland Security issued a final rule on July 20, 2026, rescinding its 2022 public-charge regulations. The rule, published as 91 FR 45324, took effect September 18, 2026. It governs DHS matters, not visa decisions made by consular officers.
Consular officers continue to assess the public-charge ground under INA 212(a)(4) and 9 FAM 302.8. The DHS rule does not settle whether an applicant is exempt from the interview pause. Public-charge screening exemptions and appointment resumption are separate questions.
A State Department spokesperson described the effort as a global training initiative intended to support comprehensive and consistent evaluations.
Applicants should wait for written appointment confirmation
While waiting, applicants can keep their case records current and follow notices from the National Visa Center or the relevant embassy or consulate. A date that has not been confirmed in writing should not drive travel or relocation plans.
- Gather current records on income, assets and housing, along with information on insurance options.
- Follow written case notices and any rescheduling message from the post or the National Visa Center.
- Employers can coordinate with counsel and prepare employment and benefits records for workers awaiting appointments.
The interview remains the unresolved step for applicants whose cases are otherwise active. Written confirmation from the relevant post is the point to use when making travel plans.
