This article was prepared with the assistance of ABIL, the Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers, of which Loan Huynh, Fredrikson Immigration Department Chair, is a member.
Following the suspension of routine services worldwide in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. embassies and consulates are beginning a phased resumption of routine visa services. The resumption will occur on a post-by-post basis. Each individual U.S. embassy or consulate website should be consulted for information regarding operating status and which services are currently offered.
The Department of State (DOS) said it is closely monitoring local conditions in each country where the agency has a U.S. presence. Local conditions that may affect reopening of various public services include “medical infrastructure, COVID-19 cases, emergency response capabilities and restrictions on leaving home,” DOS officials said, noting that machine-readable visa (MRV) fees that expired while routine services were suspended remain “valid and may be used to schedule a visa appointment in the country where it was purchased within one year of the date of payment.”
