US embassy in Islamabad suspends visa services from March 9–13 amid Middle East tensions
Security personnel stand guard outside the US consulate in Karachi on March 1, 2026. PHOTO: AFP
The US Embassy in Islamabad has suspended visa services from March 9 to 13 but says it will continue to provide routine and emergency services to US citizens as tensions rise in the Middle East.
“All immigrant and nonimmigrant visa appointments are cancelled for March 9–13,” the embassy said in a statement on X, adding that visa applicants affected by the suspension would receive instructions by 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 cancelled for March 9-13. Visa applicants will receive instructions by email on rescheduling their appointments. All… pic.twitter.com/8ATavoIum5
“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.
The development comes as US-Israeli strikes 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 in both countries said early Sunday.
Read: Two Israeli soldiers killed as it targets Iranian commanders in Beirut
The governments of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates reported Iranian drone attacks on Saturday and early Sunday, causing varying degrees of damage. Iran's Revolutionary Guards also targeted US forces at a base in Bahrain, according to Iranian state media.
As tensions grow across the region, earlier this week the United States 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 on Pakistan, which remains at Level 3 — meaning travellers should reconsider travel — the State Department said the move was taken due to safety risks following heightened regional tensions.