WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has paused all immigrant visa applications worldwide, a State Department official confirmed Tuesday, as the agency launches a global training initiative it says is aimed at ensuring consular officers can more thoroughly screen applicants who might rely on U.S. public assistance.

The State Department launched the initiative at all embassies and consulates in early August, according to the official, and visa appointments have had to be adjusted to accommodate what the agency described as "in-depth training." The department said it has been working on updated guidance and training since earlier this year "to ensure all consular officers are fully equipped to evaluate every visa applicant comprehensively and consistently."

The Financial Times reported that applicants who already had interviews scheduled at U.S. embassies and consulates received emails informing them their appointments had been canceled, with the department saying it would notify them of a new date and time. As of this report, the State Department has not provided a timeline for when the training will conclude or when normal appointment scheduling will resume.

Agency officials have framed the pause as a measure to ensure incoming immigrants will not end up relying on U.S. public benefits. But the move fits within a broader pattern of strategies the Trump administration has pursued to restrict both lawful and undocumented immigration, creating what critics describe as an increasingly selective process governing who is able to enter the country's legal immigration system.

The pause on visa appointments comes just days........

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