The U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi and Consulate General in Dubai abruptly cancelled every non-emergency consular appointment scheduled for July 13–15, citing an unspecified “regional security situation.” In an after-hours notice posted July 14, the mission instructed visa applicants and U.S. citizens alike not to travel to the facilities until they receive new instructions by e-mail. The UAE post has operated on an “ordered-departure” footing since March 2026, with non-essential U.S. personnel relocated. As a result, routine immigrant and non-immigrant visa services were already severely limited; this week’s blanket cancellations effectively slam the door on one of the busiest third-country processing hubs for Indian, Pakistani and Nigerian professionals bound for the United States. Business implications are immediate. Hundreds of H-1B, L-1 and O-1 workers planning summer start dates now face indeterminate delays, and F-1 students counting on July visa stamping may miss U.S. university orientation. Employers should explore appointment availability in home countries or consider remote onboarding solutions. The State Department emphasized that previously issued visas remain valid and that the cancellations do not constitute revocations. Travel-risk managers should monitor security developments in the Gulf and reevaluate itineraries that require crew changes or short-stay layovers in the UAE. The embassy’s Level-3 travel advisory (“Reconsider Travel”) remains in place, underscoring the volatile threat environment. Once security conditions permit, the mission will reach out individually to reschedule. Applicants are urged to keep existing DS-160 confirmations and fee receipts and to beware of third-party agents promising “priority slots.”
Source: VisaVerge
