Boston University’s International Students & Scholars Office (ISSO) warned its community on March 6 that a new Worldwide Security Caution issued by the State Department following U.S. military operations involving Iran is causing widespread disruptions at U.S. embassies and consulates throughout the Middle East. As of March 6, full consular closures were reported in Bahrain, Iraq and Israel, while posts in Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and the United Arab Emirates curtailed or cancelled most routine visa interviews.
The advisory lists country-by-country operating status and urges students, scholars and employers to postpone non-essential travel. Applicants with pending cases face uncertain wait times; some posts have stopped visa printing entirely due to staff draw-downs and air-traffic suspensions. The caution also affects Americans abroad who may need emergency passports or notarial services.
![Worldwide security caution disrupts visa processing across Middle East posts after U.S. strikes on Iran]()
Amid these disruptions, platforms such as VisaHQ can be invaluable. The company continuously tracks embassy operating statuses, offers real-time alerts, and can help students, scholars, and employers reroute applications or secure appointments at alternative posts when possible. Their U.S. visa resource center (https://www.visahq.com/united-states/) also provides step-by-step checklists and document-courier options, reducing the likelihood of further delays.
For U.S. universities and research institutions, the disruption could delay spring-semester arrivals of graduate students and visiting professors from affected countries. Private-sector employers with expatriate staff rotating through regional hubs such as Doha or Dubai should anticipate itinerary changes, additional per-diem costs and potential payroll-tax implications if stays exceed 183 days.
ISSO recommends that sponsors monitor each post’s social-media feeds, keep travel plans flexible and maintain Active SEVIS status by using remote-start options where possible. The office also advises contacting airline partners immediately to lock in alternative routings before remaining seats sell out amid the surge in demand for flights that bypass Iranian and Iraqi airspace.
The advisory lists country-by-country operating status and urges students, scholars and employers to postpone non-essential travel. Applicants with pending cases face uncertain wait times; some posts have stopped visa printing entirely due to staff draw-downs and air-traffic suspensions. The caution also affects Americans abroad who may need emergency passports or notarial services.
Amid these disruptions, platforms such as VisaHQ can be invaluable. The company continuously tracks embassy operating statuses, offers real-time alerts, and can help students, scholars, and employers reroute applications or secure appointments at alternative posts when possible. Their U.S. visa resource center (https://www.visahq.com/united-states/) also provides step-by-step checklists and document-courier options, reducing the likelihood of further delays.
For U.S. universities and research institutions, the disruption could delay spring-semester arrivals of graduate students and visiting professors from affected countries. Private-sector employers with expatriate staff rotating through regional hubs such as Doha or Dubai should anticipate itinerary changes, additional per-diem costs and potential payroll-tax implications if stays exceed 183 days.
ISSO recommends that sponsors monitor each post’s social-media feeds, keep travel plans flexible and maintain Active SEVIS status by using remote-start options where possible. The office also advises contacting airline partners immediately to lock in alternative routings before remaining seats sell out amid the surge in demand for flights that bypass Iranian and Iraqi airspace.
