The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is now focusing on US embassies and consulates overseas, leading to proposals to shut down at least a dozen consular posts—primarily in Western Europe by the summer of 2025.
US Consulate closures
According to internal communications, the State Department has informed Congress of its intent to close numerous consular posts across Europe and South America. Locations identified for potential closure reportedly include:
- France: Bordeaux, Lyon, Rennes and Strasbourg
- Germany: Dusseldorf, Hamburg and Leipzig
- Italy: Florence
- Portugal: Ponta Delgada
- Brazil: Belo Horizonte
The closures are part of a larger plan to consolidate consular services into fewer, regional hubs, and shifting demand to larger embassies, regardless of their operating capacity. Alongside closures, the Department is facing an operations budget cut of up to 20 percent, which is expected to result in sweeping staff reductions.
Currently, the Department of State employs around 80,000 personnel, including 64,000 based overseas (with approximately 50,000 local hires and 14,000 U.S. Foreign Service officers). Chiefs of mission abroad have been instructed to begin preparing for significant workforce reductions, maintaining only the minimum staff needed to keep core services running.
Impact
Applicants planning to attend visa stamping appointments abroad should anticipate ongoing and possibly worsening delays. As embassies and consulates are closed or merged, and as staffing is scaled back, scheduling an interview and receiving a decision may take considerably longer. These challenges are expected to persist for the foreseeable future.
Need assistance?
Foreign nationals and sponsoring employers should closely monitor developments and consider alternative timelines or locations for visa issuance. Where appropriate, advance planning and early application filing should be considered.
If you are concerned about the impact of these changes on your US-bound plans, or would like to discuss possible alternatives or backup strategies – particularly for those with urgent travel or start dates – speak to our US attorneys.
Further updates will follow as the situation evolves and more official information becomes available.
Author
Founder & Principal Attorney Nita Nicole Upadhye is a recognized leader in the field of US business immigration law, (The Legal 500, Chambers & Partners, Who's Who Legal and AILA) and an experienced and trusted advisor to large multinational corporates through to SMEs. She provides strategic immigration advice and specialist application support to corporations and professionals, entrepreneurs, investors, artists, actors and athletes from across the globe to meet their US-bound talent mobility needs.
Nita is an active public speaker, thought leader, immigration commentator, and immigration policy contributor and regularly hosts training sessions for employers and HR professionals.
