US Opens FY 2027 H-1B Registration With $100,000 Consular Fee and Wage-Weighted Lottery
US Embassy Abuja Closes Routine Services Amid Protest Fears, Pushes Visa Appointments to March 9
TSA Proposes Real-Time Security-Line Dashboard That Airports Can Feed Every 60 Seconds
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US Embassy in Pakistan Suspends All Visa and ACS Appointments for 2 March After Violent Protests
After weekend unrest, the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad and consulates in Karachi and Lahore cancelled every visa and American-citizen appointment for 2 March 2026 and imposed movement restrictions on staff. The shutdown will deepen already-severe visa backlogs and forces companies with personnel or assignees in Pakistan to activate contingency plans.
US Issues Emergency Advisory for Qatar; Embassy Doha Halts Routine Services as Airspace Closes
Citing heightened threats linked to regional conflict, the State Department on 2 March issued an emergency advisory for Qatar and the U.S. Embassy in Doha stopped routine visa and citizen services. A temporary air-space closure disrupted passenger and cargo flights, posing immediate challenges for business travellers and mobility supply chains.
Washington Abruptly Freezes Immigrant-Visa Issuance for 75 Countries Pending Policy Review
An internal State-Department order—revealed on 2 March—directs consulates to stop issuing immigrant visas to applicants from 75 countries pending a security-policy review. Interviews may proceed but no visas will be printed, stranding thousands of employment- and family-based applicants and forcing employers to adjust assignment timelines.