On Monday, November 23, 2015, the U.S. Department of State issued a worldwide travel alert for Americans due to increased terrorist threats, and the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Brussels has temporarily suspended visa processing as much of the city remains on lockdown following recent attacks in Paris and raids in Brussels.  The Consular Section will remain closed the rest of this week.

Visa applicants traveling abroad for the holiday season should take precautions and build extra time in their schedules to accommodate for possible slowdowns in consular operations at posts around the world.  The wait time for visa appointments tends to lengthen around the peak holiday season, so applicants should plan ahead and schedule their visa appointments as soon as practicable.  Applicants are also advised to schedule their appointments for a day at the beginning of their trip in order to maximize the time in-country for return of the passport with the visa once the visa is issued.

As always, Foster will continue to monitor current events and their impact on consular operations, and will make additional information available in future Immigration Updates© and on our firm’s website at www.fosterglobal.com.