U.S. Embassy in Caracas Suspends All Visa Services

On January 25, 2019, the Department of State announced that the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, suspended routine visa services due to the ordered departure of nonemergency personnel. The consular section advised that it is focused on providing emergency services for U.S. citizens. The State Department has not yet designated an alternative post for immigrant visa processing for citizens of Venezuela, but expects to do so soon. In the meantime, the U.S. Embassy in Lima, Peru, has advised that that it is amenable to receiving both NIV and IV applicants from Venezuela. While DOS does not designate alternative posts for NIV applications, as NIV applications can be filed at any consular post, consulates have discretionary authority (albeit rarely exercised) to refuse NIV applications from applicants who do not regularly reside in the consular district. Visa applicants who are physically present, but not resident, in a consular district where they would like to present a NIV application should consult the consular post’s website to ascertain its policy on receiving such applications