U.S. Department of State Suspends NIV Processing in Russia

The U.S. Department of State announced today that, effective August 23, 2017, U.S. visa operations across Russia will be suspended until September 1, 2017, at which point all U.S. non-immigrant visa applications will only be processed at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.  As a result, employers should expect delays for their employees applying for U.S. visa benefits in Russia, both in securing appointments and to have their visa applications processed. Any employees who already scheduled appointments should expect to receive a cancellation notice.

Employers may wish to consult with MK attorneys to determine whether it would be appropriate to have affected employees travel to other countries to apply for their visas.