VISA companies canvassed
by TNW say securing
appointments for US visa
applications has been an
issue and that assisting
clients has become
increasingly difficult.
Visas and Passports
Unlimited has sent out
a notification, warning of
delays in the availability of
visa appointments. The first
available appointments for
Durban and Johannesburg
are the end of February the
visa company says. “No
slots are currently available
for Cape Town.”
A spokesperson from
Visa Express told TNW that
the US Consulate in Cape
Town said the issue was
temporary and was being
resolved. The Consulate
has advised applicants to
monitor the US Embassy
website (za.usembassy.
gov) for updates. However,
a note on the website
says: “Due to a lapse in
appropriations, website
updates will be limited until
full operations resume.”
The longest government
shutdown in US history, now
over 30 days, continues to
impact operations, causing
delays at airports and the
closure of national parks
and museums.
