The U.S. Embassy announced it was suspending all nonimmigrant visa services in all U.S. diplomatic posts in Turkey. Turkey responded within a few hours of the U.S. Embassy’s announcement by saying it would no longer issue visas to U.S. citizens, including the physical “sticker” visas at border posts as well as the online Turkish electronic visa (e-visa).
It’s important to note that while the U.S. has halted its visa services in Turkey, it appears that the U.S. State Department is still issuing visas to Turkish nationals outside of Turkey. The U.S. has not indicated how long the suspension will last. Nevertheless, Turkish nationals who are currently in the US with expiring visas in their passports and who need to travel internationally should consider applying at another post as a third-country national. While applying as a third-country national is not ideal because such applications can be subject to delays, applying at another post may become necessary if the suspension of visa services in Turkey continues. Please contact your GT attorney for more information on options for visa renewal. Meanwhile, GT will continue to monitor this matter. Please subscribe to our blog for updates.
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