Applicants affected by the March 9-13 suspension will receive email instructions on how to reschedule their appointment.
Security personnel stand guard in front of the US consulate in Karachi on March 1, 2026. PHOTO: AFP
The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad suspended visa services from March 9 to 13, but says it will continue to provide routine and emergency services to U.S. citizens as tensions rise in the Middle East.
“All immigrant and non-immigrant visa appointments are canceled from March 9 to 13,” the embassy said in a statement on X, adding that visa applicants affected by the suspension would receive instructions via email on how to reschedule their appointments.
The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad will continue to serve U.S. citizens requiring routine and emergency services. All immigrant and nonimmigrant visa appointments are canceled March 9-13. Visa applicants will receive instructions via email on how to reschedule their appointments. All… pic.twitter.com/8ATavoIum5
— US Embassy Islamabad (@usembislamabad) March 8, 2026
“The US Embassy in Islamabad will continue to serve US citizens requiring routine and emergency services,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, all consular services at the US Consulates General in Karachi and Lahore remain suspended, the embassy said.
This development comes as US and Israeli attacks on Iran and retaliatory attacks by the Islamic Republic continue across the region. Iranian attacks have also targeted US military bases, while drones struck targets in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, officials from both countries said early Sunday.
Read: Two Israeli soldiers killed while attacking Iranian commanders in Beirut
The governments of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates reported Iranian drone strikes on Saturday and early Sunday, causing varying degrees of damage. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard also attacked US forces at a base in Bahrain, according to Iranian state media.
As tensions rise in the region, the United States earlier this week ordered the departure of non-emergency government personnel and eligible family members from its consulates in Lahore and Karachi, the State Department said in an updated travel advisory.
In its latest travel advisory for Pakistan, which remains at Level 3 (meaning travelers should reconsider their travel), the State Department said the action was taken due to security risks following rising regional tensions.
