Wait over: U.S. embassy to resume providing complete visa services to Belarus citizens

Starting February 1, Belarusian citizens and residents of any age may apply for any category of nonimmigrant U.S. visa at the embassy in Minsk.

The Belarusians have been deprived of such opportunity for about 10 years: in most cases, one had to go abroad in order to apply for a U.S. visa.

“Beginning February 1, 2018, we will start to provide a full range of non-immigrant services in Belarus. Any citizen and resident of Belarus of any age will be able to apply for a visa of any category in Minsk,” U.S. Charge d’Affaires Robert Riley said on Tuesday.

Appointment scheduling procedures remain unchanged.

After a conflict in 2008, the embassy staff was cut, which resulted in a dramatic reduction in the number of visas issued in Belarus. Only a few categories of citizens had a chance to submit documents for a U.S. visa in Minsk.

In August 2014, the U.S. Embassy in Minsk resumed issuing visas to certain categories of citizens: students, participants of cultural exchange programs, persons over 70 years old and those who previously had an American visa.

On January 30, 2017, the first immigration decree of the U.S. president Donald Trump came into force. It also affected Belarusians. Only citizens of Belarus, whose visa expired less than 12 months prior, could get another visa at the Minsk-based US Embassy. If more time had passed, they had to go for visas in the neighbouring capitals.

In November 2017, the embassy started processing B1/B2 tourist and business visas of Belarusian citizens of 50 years and older.

belsat.eu, following usembassy.gov