[authors: Eleanor Pelta, Eric S. Bord, A. James Vázquez-Azpiri, Malcolm K. Goeschl, and Lisa Stephanian Burton]
Operations have been suspended through September 21 due to security concerns, and suspension may continue into the following week.
The U.S. Department of State has suspended visa operations at the U.S. Consulate in Chennai, India, in response to security concerns related to protests at and near the consulate. Consular officials encourage visa applicants to monitor the consular website here for information about operating status during the week of September 24–28.
Applicants with a visa appointment on Monday, September 17, or Tuesday, September 18, will have their case marked as a "No Show" in the VFS scheduling system and will be permitted to reschedule for another appointment. Appointments for Thursday, September 20, will be marked as a "No Show" on late Thursday evening and should be available for rescheduling by Friday afternoon.
The consulate encourages those with an immediate travel need to reschedule their appointments at one of the other Mission India visa processing facilities in Hyderabad, Mumbai, Kolkata, or New Delhi.
Individuals with a legitimate travel emergency should contact consular officials at chennaiexp@state.gov, and the consulate will try to assist in the rescheduling of the visa appointment.
Implications
Individual applicants and their employers should consider the likely delay in visa processing in Chennai and potential short-term delays at other Mission India posts when planning travel. We will monitor developments in this area and publish additional Immigration Alerts as warranted.
