US Embassy in Russia suspends issuing nonimmigrant visas

Flag of Russia (Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain)

MOSCOW — The U.S. Embassy in Russia says it will suspend issuing nonimmigrant visas in Moscow for eight days and will stop issuing visas at its consulates elsewhere in Russia in response to the Russian decision to cap embassy staff.

The embassy said in a statement Monday that it made the decision after the Russian Foreign Ministry’s order to cap the number of U.S. diplomatic personnel in Russia. The embassy said it would resume issuing visas in Moscow on Sept. 1, but would stop giving visas at consulates in St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and Vladivostok.

Earlier this month, Russia ordered the U.S. to cut its embassy and consulate staff in Russia by 755, or by two-thirds, heightening tensions between Washington and Moscow after U.S. Congress approved sanctions against Russia.