Immigrant Visa Interview Canceled? The Consular Public Charge Pause, Bonds and What Changed in August

For families going through consular processing, August 2026 was a hard month. Interviews that took years to reach were canceled with a short email. Some applicants from certain countries were told their visas couldn't be issued, then heard a court had changed that. And a small number were told something new: that they'd need to post a bond before their visa could be approved.

These are three different things, and they're easy to confuse. This article covers people applying for green cards through a U.S. embassy or consulate. If you're adjusting status inside the United States, USCIS applies its own public charge rules, which we covered in our guide to the new USCIS public charge rule. Facts are current as of September 27, 2026.

1. The worldwide interview pause for public charge training

In late August, law firms and news organizations reported that U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide had paused immigrant visa interviews while consular officers were retrained on the public charge ground of inadmissibility. Applicants with scheduled interviews received notices that their appointments would be rescheduled, without new dates.

It's important to be clear about what's confirmed. As of September 27, the State Department had not posted a formal announcement about this pause on travel.state.gov, where it publishes other visa policy changes. The reports rely on embassy notices sent to applicants and on statements to the press. A State Department official reportedly told the Associated Press the pause wasn't expected to last beyond early to mid-September, but no nationwide restart date has been published.

What's reported to be unaffected:

• Nonimmigrant visas, such as tourist, student and work visas.
• Adjustment of status cases decided by USCIS inside the United States.
• Pre-interview work at the National Visa Center, which has kept reviewing documents. NVC's own timeframes page showed it reviewing documents submitted on July 28, 2026 as of September 21.

If your interview was canceled

• Don't book a new interview through an unofficial service. Rescheduling comes from the embassy or NVC. Anyone charging to "get you back on the calendar" has no access you don't have.
• Keep your medical exam and police certificates current. Medical exams are generally valid for a limited period, and a long delay can mean redoing them. Ask your embassy's panel physician what applies.
• Keep answering NVC. Under INA 203(g), a petition can be terminated if the applicant doesn't apply within one year of being notified that a visa is available. A canceled interview is the government's delay, not yours, but don't let unrelated NVC requests sit.

2. The 75-country issuance pause, and why it ended

Starting January 21, 2026, the State Department stopped issuing immigrant visas to nationals of 75 countries it described as at "high risk of U.S. public benefits reliance." The list included Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand and dozens more. Applicants could still interview, but visas weren't issued.

That pause is over. The State Department's page now opens with this line: "As of August 21, 2026, in accordance with the Court's order in CLINIC et al. v. Rubio, et al., the January 2026 pause of immigrant visa issuance to nationals of 75 countries is no longer in effect."

One warning if you read the page yourself. Below that one-line update, the State Department left the original January announcement in place, including the words "Effective January 21, 2026, the Department of State paused all visa issuances." Several people have read the page top to bottom and concluded the pause is still on. It isn't, at least for now. The government can appeal, so check the page again before making plans.

Separately, the presidential travel ban under Proclamation 10998 still fully or partially suspends immigrant visas for nationals of 39 countries. The court order on the 75-country list didn't change that.

3. Public charge bonds for immigrant visa applicants

On August 5, 2026, the State Department announced a pilot that lets consular officers require certain immigrant visa applicants to post a public charge bond with USCIS. The bond is a way to overcome a public charge refusal under INA 212(a)(4), not an extra fee for everyone.

How it works, based on the State Department announcement and the USCIS Policy Manual:

1. A consular officer finds the applicant likely to become a public charge, but otherwise eligible.
2. The officer notifies the applicant that a bond is required and sets the amount. The State Department says officers set amounts "based on an assessment of the totality of the circumstances," and it hasn't published a range. You can't request a bond on your own initiative.
3. The bond is posted with USCIS on Form I-945, either as cash or through a surety company certified by the Treasury. USCIS only accepts a bond for a visa applicant after it's notified that the consular officer requires one.
4. Once the bond is accepted, the officer may issue the visa if everything else is in order.

A public charge bond doesn't replace the Form I-864 affidavit of support. The law says a bond can be required in addition to the sponsor's affidavit, so a strong I-864 is still the first line of defense.

The person who posts the bond can get the money back when the bond is canceled. The USCIS Policy Manual's chapter on public charge bonds explains when that happens and what counts as a breach. It's worth reading before anyone in the family commits money, because a breach means forfeiture.

What sponsors can do now

• Strengthen the affidavit of support. Consular officers look at the sponsor's income, assets and the credibility of the commitment. A joint sponsor who clearly meets the income requirement can matter.
• Prepare the applicant's own evidence. Education, work history, job offers, health insurance plans and savings all speak to the public charge factors officers weigh: age, health, family status, finances, and education and skills.
• Interview where you live. Since November 1, 2025, NVC schedules immigrant visa interviews in the applicant's country of residence or, if requested, nationality. Asking to move a case elsewhere now needs a documented reason.

Official sources

• Public Charge Bonds for Immigrant Visa Applicants, Aug. 5, 2026 (State Department)
• Immigrant Visa Processing Updates for Nationalities at High Risk of U.S. Public Benefits Reliance (State Department)
• Policy Manual, Volume 8, Part G, Chapter 11: Public Charge Bonds (USCIS)
• NVC Timeframes (State Department)
• Adjudicating Immigrant Visa Applicants in Their Country of Residence (State Department)