Routine visa processing at both U.S. Embassy Jerusalem and the Tel Aviv Branch Office has been suspended for the week of 2–6 March 2026, the State Department announced. Applicants with scheduled interviews will receive rescheduling notices once operations resume; only emergency services for U.S. citizens will be available. The move follows a 27 February authorized-departure order for non-emergency staff amid escalating regional hostilities. For mobility managers, the pause means that H-1B, L-1, and other petition-based visa applicants from Israel and the Palestinian Territories face new scheduling uncertainty just as the annual H-1B cap season opens in the United States. Companies with critical hires should consider third-country processing in Athens or Bucharest—both posts with Hebrew-speaking officers and historically shorter wait times. Attorneys also note that visa interview-waiver policies for certain renewals remain valid; eligible applicants can use courier drop-off services where available. The embassy emphasized that immigrant-visa applicants will likewise be rescheduled, potentially delaying family-reunification timelines. Employers sponsoring green cards for Israeli staff should factor additional months into onboarding roadmaps. With flights into Ben Gurion Airport subject to sudden schedule changes, travelers should keep itineraries flexible and ensure travel health insurance covers war-risk exclusions. The embassy continues to update social-media feeds with shelter-in-place guidance—a resource assignees should monitor closely.
