Temporary Suspension of New Visa Appointments for F, J, and M Categories
Starting on May 27, 2025, numerous media outlets reported on a leaked cable issued by the U.S. Department of State to all consular posts, directing them to halt adding additional visa appointment capacity until further notice. The cable (which has not yet been independently verified) states that existing appointments that have already been scheduled can proceed under current guidelines, but available appointments that have not yet been booked should be removed from availability to give U.S. embassies and consulates time to upgrade their systems and implement enhanced social media screening protocols for visa applicants.
Key Points:
- Existing Appointments Remain Valid: Individuals who already have scheduled visa appointments are not affected. These appointments will proceed as planned.
- New Appointments Unavailable: No new appointments can be scheduled at this time, and available time slots are being removed from embassy/consulate calendars.
- No Timeline for Resumption: At this point, it is unclear how long the temporary pause will last.
Ongoing Efforts and Recommendations:
- Individuals currently in the U.S. in F, M, or J status are strongly encouraged to avoid non-emergency international travel if they have not already scheduled a visa appointment and would require a new visa to return. Until new appointments become available, reentry to the U.S. may be delayed.
- Future F, J, and M visa applicants who are currently outside the U.S. are encouraged to continue working with their universities and/or exchange visitor program sponsors/host organizations to process their required documents and minimize future delays.
Questions?
If you have any questions about the above, please reach out to your McCown & Evans attorney for more information.