President Barack Obama has asked the US Department of Homeland Security and the State Department to review the K-1 fiance visa programme that was used by a couple responsible for a mass shooting in California last week, a White House official said on Sunday.

In a televised address, Obama said he had ordered a review of the "visa waiver programme" used by Tashfeen Malik to enter the United States. But a White House official confirmed Obama misspoke, meaning to say "visa programme."

The US government separately is making a series of changes to its visa waiver programme to screen travelers more closely from 38 countries who can enter the United States without visas.

The K-1 visa programme permits foreign citizens to travel to the United States to marry American citizens. – Reuters