On July 13, 2020, the U.S. Department of State announced that certain U.S. embassies and consulates around the world will soon resume visa services. This worldwide suspension of U.S. visas has been one of several ways the Trump administration has severely restricted immigration and travel to the United States amid the coronavirus pandemic.

On March 20, 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of State suspended routine immigrant and nonimmigrant visa services and appointments at all U.S. embassies and consulates. Since the suspension in March, U.S. embassies and consulates have only been open and available to provide specific emergency and mission critical visa services. As of now, no specific embassy or consulate has announced official plans to resume visa services.

Following the resumption of visa services, travel from over two dozen countries to the United States will still be barred under President Trump’s presidential proclamations for any alien who has traveled in the prior two weeks through China, Iran, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Brazil, and Europe's Schengen Area, a 26-country bloc that includes France, Germany, Italy, and Spain.

Although it is uncertain when and which embassies and consulates will open, we are beginning to see standard visa services resume following an almost four-month suspension.