Location: Cabo Verde
Event: Resumption of Additional Consular Services
U.S. Citizen Services
Effective December 1, the U.S. Embassy in Praia will resume all American Citizen Services including all passports, Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBAs), and notarial services. To request an appointment, please use the Embassy’s on-line appointment system. To ensure adequate social distancing for both staff and customers, the Embassy is operating with reduced on-site staffing, so there may be a longer than usual wait for an appointment. If correct and complete documents are presented at the appointment, it will take approximately 4-6 weeks from the date of the appointment to receive a U.S. passport. You can review the requirements and fees for passports, CRBAs, and notarials on our website.
Visa Services
The U.S. Embassy will resume non-immigrant visa cases for travelers with urgent travel needs for humanitarian or business reasons; crewmembers (C1-D); students (F-1, M-1, and certain J-1); and work visas (L-1 and H1-B). To request an expedited appointment, please email PraiaConsular@state.gov.
In addition, the U.S. Embassy will also resume processing some immigrant visa cases, including for applicants with expired immigrant visas and will begin to reschedule individuals whose appointments were canceled in March and April. While everyone with an expired immigrant visa or cancelled appointment will eventually be rescheduled, initial appointments will be offered only to those who are eligible to travel to the United States under the current Presidential Proclamations. More information about the COVID-19 related travel restrictions and Presidential Proclamations is available on our Frequently Asked Questions page. The U.S. Embassy will contact eligible applicants directly regarding their appointment and processing requirements.
LPR Services
Effective December 1, Legal Permanent Residents (LPRs) whose LPR card (“green card”) is lost or stolen may apply for a boarding foil. LPRs who have remained outside of the United States for more than one year may also apply for an SB-1 visa. To make an appointment for either service, please email PraiaConsular@state.gov.
Limited Resumption of Additional Consular Services
We are looking forward to returning to full consular services as soon as possible. The resumption of additional routine visa services is occurring in coordination with the Department of State’s framework for safely returning to Department facilities. U.S. Embassy Praia has continued to provide emergency and mission-critical consular services since March and will continue to do so.
As local conditions permit, Embassy Praia will phase in additional processing. To learn more about the current Presidential Proclamations and how it might affect the travel plans for those traveling to the United States on a non-immigrant or immigrant visa please visit the Embassy’s Frequently Asked Questions page. U.S. Embassy Praia will resume providing all routine nonimmigrant and immigrant visa cases only when adequate resources are available and it is safe to do so.
Safety
The health and safety of our workforce and customers will remain paramount. U.S. Embassy Praia is implementing safeguards to keep staff and customers safe, including implementing physical distancing in our waiting rooms, scheduling fewer interviews at a time, frequent disinfection of high touch areas, and following local health and safety regulations.
In order to ensure the safety and security of our customers and staff, the following points will strictly apply to anyone with a confirmed appointment:
- All applicants will be temperature screened upon arrival.
- If an applicant has had a fever in the last 14 days or been in contact with a known COVID-19 case in the last 14 days, they need to reschedule.
- Each applicant must arrive for his/her appointment 15 minutes early, to allow time for security screening. If you arrive late, you will be asked to reschedule your appointment for another day. To reduce crowding in front of the embassy, customers should not arrive more than 30 minutes early.
- Wear a mask. In response to COVID-19 all customers over the age of 10 must wear masks while at the Embassy. You are required to bring your own mask(s). If you do not have a mask, you will be asked to reschedule your appointment for another day.
- Come fully prepared for your interview. We must limit the number of customers in our waiting room due to social distancing requirements, so customers will not be allowed to fill out forms in our waiting room, as that would delay serving other customers. Therefore, if you are not fully prepared you will be asked to reschedule your appointment for another day.
For any questions or request for assistance, please email PraiaConsular@state.gov.
Assistance
U.S. Embassy Praia
Rua Abilio Macedo 6
Praia, Cabo Verde
Phone: (+238) 260-8900
PraiaConsular@state.gov
https://cv.usembassy.gov/
State Department – Consular Affairs
1-888-407-4747 or 1-202-501-4444
Cabo Verde Country Information
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