Following the arrest of a U.S. Consulate employee by Turkish authorities in Istanbul, the United States Mission in Turkey announced on October 8, 2017 the immediate suspension of all non-immigrant visa services at all posts in the country.
U.S. Citizen Services at these posts remain unaffected. It may be possible for Turkish Citizens to travel to U.S. Consular posts in other countries to obtain visas such as H-1Bs, L-1s, and F-1s, but acceptance of “third country nationals” is not guaranteed. Moreover, travel to a third country likely requires the translation of documents into English and often brings visa issuance delays. Therefore, this option should only be considered in urgent circumstances.
In turn, the Government of Turkey announced the immediate suspension of visas to U.S. citizens including the issuance of physical “sticker” visas at border ports of entry as well as the online Turkish electronic e-visa. Any U.S. Citizens with travel plans to Turkey should contact the Turkish consulate having jurisdiction over their place of residence to ascertain any options.
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