Non-emergency visa services suspended in Venezuela
Due to the political situation in Venezuela, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) has withdrawn all non-essential diplomatic staff from the country and has suspended all “non-emergency” visa services in Caracas, Venezuela. At this time, the DOS has not addressed whether any services will be available to foreign nationals. However, immigrant and nonimmigrant visa processing will likely be considered non-emergency, and foreign nationals are recommended to review alternate embassies or consulates that may accept jurisdiction based on the foreign national holding immigration status in another country or may accept applications filed by “third country nationals,” referring to the limited number of U.S. consular posts that do not require long-term immigration status in that “third country” to accept consular visa applications. Keep in mind that this does not impact your ability to remain in the U.S. and maintain your non-immigrant visa status.
We understand that most, if not all of you, do not travel outside the U.S. frequently, but we wanted to bring attention to this matter in case you had any international travel plans and your visa stamp has since expired. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the OIS. We may refer you to consult with an immigration attorney before travelling for or attending a visa appointment.