Wave of Countries Suspend US Visa Applications

Source: Newsweek

Published Mar 09, 2026 at 02:32 PM EDT updated Mar 10, 2026 at 09:01 AM EDT


U.S. embassies and consulates in several countries, including Pakistan, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia, have temporarily suspended visa services amid the ongoing Iran-Israel-US war. The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, has cancelled all immigrant and non-immigrant visa appointments scheduled from March 9 through March 13, according to a social media post.

The embassy said in a March 8 post on X that visa applicants whose interviews fall within the affected period will receive instructions by email on how to reschedule their appointments. No new interview dates have been publicly announced.

Routine and emergency services for U.S. citizens in Islamabad will continue during this period, the embassy said. The embassy also said that all consular services at the U.S. Consulate General in Karachi and Lahore remain suspended until further notice. Those consulates had earlier scaled back operations amid heightened security concerns.

A spokesperson for the State Department told Newsweek that 36,000 American citizens have returned to the U.S. from the Middle East since February 28.

Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/wave-of-countries-suspend-us-visa-applications-11645613