The earliest appointment date for Turkish citizens applying for a visa to visit the United States is January 2019, the Hurriyet Daily News reported referring to the U.S. Embassy in Turkey.
“In spite of long wait times, the U.S. Mission to Turkey continues to process non-immigrant visas,” the statement released by the official U.S. Embassy Twitter account read on Dec. 19.
“Appointments are available for January 2019, and applicants can as always choose to apply outside of Turkey,” the statement added.
The Turkey-U.S. visa row was sparked Oct. 8, when the U.S. Embassy in Ankara announced the suspension of non-immigrant visa services to Turkish nationals.
The move came after the arrest of a local employee at the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul, prompting a tit-for-tat response from Ankara.
According to Washington, two of its Turkish diplomatic mission staff were arrested this year, while a third was summoned by prosecutors.
Ahead of Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım’s visit to the U.S. on Nov. 9, the two countries mutually decided to ease a visa crisis that emerged after the arrest of two Turkish-citizen employees of the U.S. Istanbul Consulate.