Following the announcement by the U.S. embassy in Mauritius that it was at present unable to offer the full range of visa services, Public Affairs Officer Craig White told NEWSNOW that “the presence of the U.S. embassy in Mauritius is not threatened.
“Concerning visas, there are two temporary issues, and they are separate. The first is a temporary personnel issue: our consular officer left early. We requested a temporary replacement officer, but have not received one yet; we hope to have one soon. In the meantime, we are handling student visas and official visas,” explained Mr White.
The U.S. Embassy in Antananarivo, Madagascar, he said, has made available visa appointment slots for Mauritian/Seychelles applicants on Monday mornings. Applicants should visit the embassy’s website for more information.
The second issue is a possible temporary shutdown of almost the entire U.S. government due to budget constraints. “If this happens, it will affect all services provided by the U.S. government, including parks and museums in the U.S., for example. If this happens, it will mean all embassies will close except for emergencies, until there is a budget,” explained Craig White.
Should such a shutdown occur, it would affect U.S. Embassy operations everywhere, including in Port Louis and in Antananarivo.
Accordingly, he said, for all interviews for visa applications scheduled after March 18, applicants must verify that the corresponding embassy will be open and operating during that time