Consular services at the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Brazil have been suspended starting today, October 2, due to security concerns. At this time, all visa appointments have been canceled. Beyond appointment cancellations during the immediate suspension, we may see cancellations further out as a ripple effect from this suspension.

The State Department has not provided additional information on the nature of the security concerns or how long the suspension of services will last. Reporting indicates that this may be tied to the presidential elections in Brazil; a first round vote is scheduled for this Sunday, October 4, and a second round vote will take place on Sunday, October 25. It’s unclear whether services would resume in between rounds of voting. 

There are also reports that applicants whose appointments were canceled are being instructed to log in and reschedule them, with some appointment availability appearing as early as mid-October. However, there is no guarantee that these newly scheduled appointments will proceed as planned, particularly given the uncertainty surrounding the second round of voting on October 25 and the potential for additional service disruptions.

We will continue to monitor and provide updates if they become available. If you have immediate questions or concerns, please speak with your Pryor Cashman attorney.

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Associate Scott H. Schaefer was a contributing author to this client alert.