fbpx
Market intelligence for international student recruitment from ICEF
11th Oct 2017

US suspends visa processing in Turkey

Update for 7 November 2017: The US Department of State announced this week that US embassies and consulates in Turkey have resumed processing of non-immigrant visas "on a limited basis." This means in effect that processing has begun again but applicants should anticipate longer processing times and more limited availability of appointments with consular officials.

Diplomatic tensions between the US and Turkey have spilled into the open this week. On Sunday, 8 October, the US government took the extraordinary decision to suspend all processing of all non-immigrant visas in Turkey – effectively halting processing for all student visas along with other temporary visitor visa classes. Hours later, Turkey announced its own travel restrictions for US visitors with an announcement on Monday (9 October) indicating that it too would suspend visa processing at its diplomatic posts in the US. The US government statement from 8 October said, “Recent events have forced the United States Government to reassess the commitment of the Government of Turkey to the security of US Mission facilities and personnel. In order to minimize the number of visitors to our Embassy and Consulates while this assessment proceeds, effective immediately we have suspended all non-immigrant visa services at all US diplomatic facilities in Turkey.” The suspension follows the arrest last week of a Turkish national employed at the US consulate in Istanbul. The Turkish government alleges that the employee has ties to Fethullah Gülen, an exiled Turkish cleric and political figure who is in turn alleged to have been behind the failed 2016 coup attempt in Turkey. Turkish officials have since ordered the question of another US consulate official as a suspect in an unspecified case. The rhetoric has been hot on both sides in the early days of this week, but there have been signs too that cooler heads are starting to prevail. Speaking at a news conference while on a state visit to Ukraine on Monday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, “Before anything else, this decision is very saddening. The implementation of a decision by the US ambassador in Ankara is very saddening. Turkey is a state of law, not a tribal state.” US Ambassador John Bass explains the thinking behind the decision to suspend visa processing in the following 9 October video statement, in which he is careful to note that, “This suspension of services is not a visa ban on Turkish citizens; it is a suspension of our consideration of new visa applications. If you have a valid visa, you can still travel to the United States. If you want to apply for a visa at another US embassy or consulate outside of Turkey, you are free to do so.” Ambassador John Bass’ statement on the suspension of visa services in Turkey Just as these more recent statements reflect an attempt to prevent a further escalation of diplomatic tensions, currency markets began to correct late Monday after an initial “flash crash” for the Turkish lira. The Turkish currency was off sharply against the US dollar in overnight trading Sunday, and lost roughly 6% of its value almost immediately. There were signs of a market correction, however, as world markets recovered the following day from the initial surprise of the visa suspension. the-turkish-lira-fell-off-sharply-in-overnight-trading-over-8–9-october The Turkish lira fell off sharply in overnight trading over 8–9 October. Source: Thomson Reuters Even so, the events of the week represent a low-water mark in US-Turkey relations. “In terms of bilateral relations between Turkey and the US, we have now hit rock bottom,” said international relations expert Oguz Demir. “This decision by the US affects Turkish citizens directly and aims for them to question the Turkish government’s actions. For the first time the US has made a move that will cause difficulties for the Turkish society.”

US a key destination

The move to suspend visa services in Turkey hits close to home for Turkish students, families, and counsellors. The US remains a leading destination for Turkish students, and is generally noted as a second most-popular choice, after only the UK. The Institute of International Education has Turkey as the 13th-largest sending market for the US as of 2015/16, with just under 10,700 students enrolled that year. The question now will be how long the diplomatic face-off between these important sending and destination countries will last. If it subsides quickly, we can expect little disruption in the flow of students. A worse case scenario is if the suspension of visa processing drags on for weeks or months with no clear end in sight. In that event, Turkish students who had planned to study in the US as early as January 2018 will certainly be forced to delay their studies or consider an alternate destination. For additional background, please see:

Most Recent

  • What is happening with Indian enrolments abroad this year? Read More
  • ICEF Podcast: How are schools and agents adapting to rising visa rejection rates? Read More
  • Full-year data highlights decline in foreign enrolment in UK universities in 2023/24 Read More

Most Popular

  • Which countries will contribute the most to global student mobility in 2030? Read More
  • Research shows link between study abroad and poverty alleviation  Read More
  • Beyond the Big Four: How demand for study abroad is shifting to destinations in Asia and Europe Read More

Because you found this article interesting

What is happening with Indian enrolments abroad this year? Just a couple of years ago, Indian students were flocking to a number of attractive study abroad destinations,...
Read more
ICEF Podcast: How are schools and agents adapting to rising visa rejection rates? Listen in as ICEF’s Craig Riggs and Martijn van de Veen recap some recent industry developments, including a...
Read more
Full-year data highlights decline in foreign enrolment in UK universities in 2023/24 For the first time in ten years, the total number of students enrolled in UK universities fell in...
Read more
Analysis shows impact of immigration settings on international tuition fees at Australian universities Keri Ramirez, managing director of sector data specialist Studymove, hosted a fascinating webinar recently that looked at the...
Read more
US: Trump administration actions creating an uncertain outlook for international students So far this year, research indicates that international students still have a mainly positive view of study in...
Read more
Germany recovers an 8x return on investment in international students A new analysis from the German Economic Institute (IW), and commissioned by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD),...
Read more
New Zealand resource aims to connect prospective international students with qualified agents Faced with an ever-more complex international student recruiting environment, many educational institutions are becoming more strategic and selective...
Read more
International degree graduates of Canadian colleges no longer have to meet “field of study” requirements for post-study work permits Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has revised its requirements so that international students in degree programmes delivered...
Read more
What are you looking for?
Quick Links