Last week on the blog we published a piece pertaining to both non-immigrant and immigrant visa service operations in key Latin American countries. As vaccines become more widely distributed, and vaccine efficacy continues to increase in both the Global North and Global South, it is important to review which U.S. consulates have resumed their operations at full capacity and which are still closed or partially open due to the ongoing pandemic and other conflict-affected areas.
In this blog, we will take a closer look at some of the U.S. consulates and embassies spread throughout Asia. Immigration between Asian countries and the U.S. is one of the biggest pathways of migration in the world. Let’s take a closer look at the status of some of these consulates per recent State Department data.
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
This Central Asian country will resume its non-immigrant visa services at the U.S. embassy in Bishkek starting December 1st. Appointments are being offered on a first-come, first-serve basis in several non-immigrant categories. In order to book an appointment, applicants need to go to the following link: https://evisaforms.state.gov/default.asp?postcode=bkk&appcode=3%2520
Dhaka, Bangladesh
The U.S. embassy in Dhaka is currently processing both immigrant and no-immigrant visa applications and has availability for appointments in both categories. However, the embassy has released a memo stating they have limited appointments for B1/B2 applicants. Applicants who have paid the fee will have their payment valid until 2023, and are advised to wait until more appointments are available. However, if you have an emergency via your B1/B2 request, you can follow the emergency application steps here: https://www.ustraveldocs.com/bd/bd-niv-expeditedappointment.asp.
Hong Kong
The U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong has released a memo that is part of the teams policy regarding visa appointments and Covid-19. The current policy states that any visa applicant who has been abroad, including a trip to mainland China or Macau, in the past 14 days, will not be able to enter the consulate. Therefore, visa applicants should make sure they are not travelling prior to their scheduled visa appointments.
Kathmandu, Nepal
The U.S. embassy in Kathmandu is still not back up to normal processing speed. At this time, the embassy is conducting limited immigrant visa appointments, mainly for K-visa (fiancé) applicants, as well as immediate relatives of U.S. citizens. The embassy is also prioritizing renewing student exchange visas (non-immigrant) without a needed appointment. In terms of other non-immigrant visas available, please visit the Embassy page for a full list of all the visas that are currently being issued in Kathmandu: https://np.usembassy.gov/visas/.
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
The U.S. embassy in Phnom Penh has only recently, as of November 1st, resumed certain non-immigrant visa services and limited appointments in the following categories: B1/B2, and student exchange (F, M, and J). The embassy is operating under a significant backlog for citizens hoping to secure to a non-immigrant visa and may endure significant wait times before their appointment/interview is scheduled. There is no notice currently on backlogs for immigrant visa processing.
Myanmar
Both Covid-19 and a fragile security situation in Myanmar (formerly Burma) continue to affect visa operations and consular processing. Only limited appointments are available in both the non-immigrant and immigrant visa categories. If you have questions about your case, individuals applying for a visa in Myanmar need to use the Contact Information via the link provided: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Supplements/Supplements_by_Post/RNG-Rangoon.html
