US visa appointments in Turkey available in January

By Meltem Bulur

ANKARA (AA) – U.S. missions in Ankara and Istanbul on Tuesday said they would be able to offer visa appointments in January 2019 at the earliest following a suspension of such services due to a dispute between both countries.

"In spite of long wait times, the U.S. Mission to Turkey continues to process non-immigrant visas," the U.S. Embassy in Turkey posted on Twitter.

The statement added: "Appointments are available for January 2019, and applicants can as always choose to apply outside of Turkey."

"U.S. visa appointments are still limited, but we are prioritizing F, J, M, and petition-based work categories as well as applicants with medical and business travel," the statement added.

The F type visa is issued for foreigners who intend to pursue academic studies and the M category is for vocational studies, while the J category visa is for individuals approved to participate in work-and study-based exchange visitor programs, according to the U.S. State Department's website.

On Oct. 8, the U.S. Embassy announced the suspension of non-immigrant visa services to Turkish nationals. The move came after the arrest of a local employee working at the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul, prompting a tit-for-tat response from Ankara.

Metin Topuz, a long-standing consulate employee, was arrested over alleged ties to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind last year’s defeated coup attempt in Turkey.

On Nov. 4, the U.S. Embassy in Turkey announced visa applications were again being processed on a limited basis at its diplomatic missions in Turkey.

Following the U.S. move, Turkish missions in the U.S. also resumed processing visa applications of U.S. citizens at its diplomatic and consular missions in the U.S. on a "limited basis".