President Donald Trump's administration has issued a pause on visa appointments for applicants around the world during an ongoing immigration crackdown by the US government, Reuters reports.

A US State Department spokesperson said on Tuesday that it launched a global training initiative at all US embassies and consulates worldwide and that appointments for visa services will be adjusted to accommodate the training.

The State Department, however, did not specify details on the training and its timeline, beyond saying the training aimed to help consular officers screen out applicants deemed likely to become dependent on US public benefits and to ensure evaluation of visa applicants "comprehensively and consistently."