The State Department has said it is coordinating with the Department of Homeland Security to identify and revoke such visas. The department has not disclosed how many visas would be affected, but AP, citing State Department documents and two US officials, reported that the number could reach 200,000.

If carried out, the move would be the largest single mass revocation of visas in US history and would likely face legal challenges, AP reported.

Julia Gelatt, associate director of the US immigration policy programme at the Migration Policy Institute, said the moves appeared to reflect a broader administration philosophy aimed at reducing immigration.

“The thing linking them is a general philosophy that immigration is bad for the United States and that the Trump administration is looking for all of the ways it can to button down our immigration system to allow in fewer people,” said Gelatt.

US immigrant visa pause expected to be temporary: Officials

A State Department official told AP that the pause is linked to new “public charge” guidance that has raised questions among US consular officers around the world.

The pause began in early August and is not expected to extend beyond early to mid-September, according to the State Department official. Affected interviews are expected to be rescheduled for September, October and November.

The pause affects people applying for immigrant visas from outside the United States, including many applicants seeking to move to the country through family-based immigration.

The State Department official said employment-based immigrant visa applicants with employer sponsorship would not be affected by the pause because they can demonstrate income and are less likely to be considered a “public charge.”

Gelatt said the pause appeared intended to be temporary, but warned that litigation could follow if it lasted longer than expected.

Does it affect family-based immigrant-visa interviews in India?

Indian applicants for family-based immigrant visas processed through US consular posts in India are subject to the global immigrant-visa pause. The State Department says the training is taking place at embassies and consulates worldwide, while AP reports that the pause affects people applying for immigrant visas from outside the US, including family-based applicants.

This includes people immigrating through relatives such as spouses, parents, children or siblings of US citizens.

Are scheduled interviews cancelled or rescheduled?

The State Department has not announced a permanent cancellation of applicants’ cases. AP reported that the pause began in early August and was expected to last until early to mid-September, with affected August interviews expected to be rescheduled for September, October or November.

What happens to Indians whose interviews were scheduled in August?

They should expect a delay rather than automatic cancellation of their underlying immigration case.

However, because the State Department has not provided a definitive worldwide rescheduling timetable, Indian applicants should wait for instructions from the relevant US consular post/National Visa Center rather than assume a particular new date.