National Interest Exceptions for Immigrants and Fiancé(e)s

The Secretary of State determined that travel on an immigrant or fiancé(e) visa is in the national interest for purposes of granting exceptions under the geographic COVID proclamations. Immigrant Visa processing posts may now grant immigrant and fiancé(e) visas to applicants otherwise eligible, notwithstanding these proclamations.

Immigrant and K fiancé visa applicants present in South Africa, Brazil, the Schengen Area, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the People’s Republic of China, and the Islamic Republic of Iran should review the website of the nearest embassy or consulate which processes immigrant visas to verify which visa services are currently available, as the volume and type of visa cases each post is able to process, given the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, will depend on local circumstances.  At posts where immigrant visa processing is available, immigrant visas will be prioritized in accordance with the Department’s guidance on the phased resumption of visa services. 

An embassy or consulate will resume adjudicating all routine visa cases only when it is safe to do so and adequate resources are available.  As local conditions improve, our missions will begin providing additional services, culminating eventually in a complete resumption of routine visa services.  We are unable to provide a specific date for when each mission will resume specific visa services.  Applicants should monitor embassy and consulate websites for updates on availability of visa services.