The administration of US President Donald Trump has launched a multi-front offensive against foreigners in the United States in recent days, with measures targeting applicants for permanent residence, tourists and highly skilled professionals. The initiatives, compiled by G1 from reporting by the Financial Times and the Associated Press (AP), include the worldwide suspension of interviews for immigrant visas, preparation for the largest collective visa revocation in US history and a fee of more than US$ 100,000 on highly skilled work visas.
The measure already in force is the suspension, until further notice, of interview scheduling at US embassies and consulates for immigrant visa candidates, a category that includes the green card, the document granting permanent residence in the United States. According to the US State Department, the pause is tied to a global training program for consular staff, with no end date announced. Scheduling for non-immigrant visas, such as tourist visas, continues as normal. The Financial Times reported that candidates who already had interviews booked received emails saying their appointments would be rescheduled, with a new date to be announced later.
For Brazil, the impact comes at both ends. Brazilians waiting for immigrant visa interviews at US consulates are left without a set date for now. On the professional side, Brazil ranks 9th among the nationalities most hired by US companies under the H-1B visa, which is aimed at highly skilled foreign workers, according to data from the Visual Capitalist and Statista platforms cited by G1. India and China top that list.
Mass revocation and a US$ 100,000 fee
The State Department is expected to announce in the coming weeks the revocation of business and tourism visas (the B1 and B2 categories) held by up to 200,000 foreigners who applied for asylum or have asylum cases pending in the United States. The affected visas were issued between 2016 and 2026, according to documents obtained by the AP. If confirmed, it would be the largest collective visa revocation in US history and is expected to face court challenges. Officials who spoke to the agency said revocation does not mean immediate deportation: most of those affected would have their migratory status changed but would lose their business or tourism visitor standing.
On the third front, the White House released a proposed regulation to formalize a fee of US$ 103,265 (about R$ 531,000) on new H-1B visas, which currently cost between US$ 2,000 and US$ 5,000. Trump imposed the fee last year, but US courts ruled it illegal and blocked it. The government appealed, and the case is now before an appeals court. The H-1B program is used mainly by the technology, education and research sectors.
The interests at stake are clear. Trump argues that companies use the H-1B to replace American workers with cheaper foreign labor, while many companies say the visa fills a shortage of qualified professionals. For India and China, the main sources of these workers, the higher cost affects entire technology and service industries. For countries like Brazil, with communities of immigrants and professionals in the United States, the combination of frozen interviews, planned revocations and new fees creates an uncertain outlook that is likely to be settled in American courts, where the measures are expected to end up.