The systems of the U.S. Consulate General in Istanbul have collapsed on July 6, which affected visa processing, email systems, and appointment schedules. As per the Consulate's statement on its website, services are currently trying to be restored.
The statement read, "We are working to correct the situation as quickly as possible. All persons with visa or American Citizen Services appointments on July 6, 7, and 8 should follow the guidance below."
For emergency appointments and visa issues, the Consulate has referred Istanbul applicants to the Embassy in Ankara. But, for those who have already applied for a visa to the Consulate, their visa processing might last longer, since their passport might be returned to them without a visa due to the systems outage, the Consulate's statement read.
"If your passport was returned to you without a visa due to the systems outage you may now send your passport back to our office for visa printing," according to the statement.
"After your passports and/or missing documents are received, a consular officer will review your case again. If everything is in order, your passport with visa will be sent to the PTT office which you chose. This process may take several additional days," the statement read.
