State Department Pauses Immigrant Visa Interviews
Immigrant visa interviews at US embassies and consulates worldwide remain on hold, with no restart date announced.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Immigration
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The State Department told posts abroad in late August to stop and reschedule immigrant visa interviews, affecting applicants at US embassies and consulates worldwide, including Santo Domingo. Tourist and business visas known as B1/B2 visas are not covered by the pause.
Why it matters
Immigrant visa applicants in affected countries face indefinite delays in their cases. The stated reason is training of consular officers on new instructions on the public charge rule.
The pause applies to immigrant visa interviews only, with the US Embassy in Santo Domingo having processed more than 54,000 immigrant visa applications as of May 2026. No public count of Dominican applicants with cancelled interviews has been released, and no restart date has been set.
The players
US Department of State
The federal agency responsible for US foreign policy and the issuance of visas to foreign nationals abroad.
US Embassy in Santo Domingo
The American diplomatic mission in the Dominican Republic that processes immigrant visa applications for Dominican applicants.
The details
The US Embassy in Santo Domingo cancelled immigrant visa interviews for Dominican applicants, and embassies have not released a public calendar for rebooking cancelled appointments. Panama's embassy continued tourist appointments normally, and the pause does not extend to tourist or business visas.
Timeline
Late August 2026: State Department orders posts to stop immigrant visa interviews.
May 2026: Santo Domingo embassy reports more than 54,000 processed immigrant visa applications.
5 November 2026: Interviews remain paused with no restart date announced.
Political Context
The pause is linked to consular officer training on new instructions under the public charge rule, which governs whether visa applicants are likely to depend on public benefits. Immigration advocates and dissenting officials have not been quoted in the available reporting on the pause.
Immigrant visa applicants with scheduled interviews will need to wait for embassies to rebook their appointments, with no restart date announced. Tourist and business visa appointments are not affected by the pause.
The takeaway
Applicants awaiting immigrant visa interviews should monitor their embassy's official channels for rebooking announcements, since no restart date has been published. Those with tourist or business visa plans can proceed as scheduled.
Further reading
For more on US visa policy and related rule changes, see Immigration.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Rio Times.
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