If you’re researching a US visitor visa from Lebanon right now, there’s one thing you need to know before anything else about documents or DS-160 forms: as of this writing, routine visa processing at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut is suspended. This isn’t a rumor or a rare local delay — it’s the Embassy’s own current published notice, and it changes how you should approach planning a US trip this year.
This guide covers exactly what’s happening, why it doesn’t mean what some headlines suggest, and — separately — the full B1/B2 document and process checklist you’ll want ready the moment things move again.
Where Things Stand Right Now
On February 23, the Department of State ordered the departure of non-emergency US government personnel and their families from Beirut, citing safety risks. The Embassy itself remains open and operational with core staff in place, prioritizing emergency services for US citizens — but routine visa processing, including B1/B2 visitor visa interviews, is not currently available. Applicants who had interviews already scheduled in Beirut are being notified by email of a rescheduled date once one becomes available.
There is no announced timeline for when routine processing resumes. This is worth checking directly on the Embassy’s website before you make any firm plans, since it’s the kind of detail that can change with very little notice.
This Is Not the Same as the 2026 Travel Ban
It’s worth separating two things that get conflated in the news cycle. Presidential Proclamation 10998, effective January 1, 2026, fully or partially suspends US visa issuance for nationals of 39 specific countries — Lebanon is not one of them. Separately, a January 21, 2026 policy paused immigrant visa issuance (the green-card pathway) for nationals of a longer list of countries that does include Lebanon — but that pause applies to immigrant visas, not to B1/B2 visitor visas for tourism or business.
In other words, the interruption Lebanese travelers are currently facing isn’t a nationality-based restriction at all — it’s a Beirut-specific service suspension tied to the security situation on the ground, and it applies to nonimmigrant interview scheduling generally, not to Lebanese applicants specifically.
What a B1/B2 Visa Actually Covers
The B1/B2 is the standard US nonimmigrant visitor visa, combining two purposes into one document: B-1 covers business visits (meetings, conferences, contract negotiations), and B-2 covers tourism, visiting family, or medical treatment. Most Lebanese leisure and business travelers apply for the combined B1/B2. It doesn’t authorize employment or study in the US, and it doesn’t guarantee entry — a consular officer’s visa issuance and a Customs and Border Protection officer’s entry decision are two separate steps.
How to Prepare Now, Even While Processing Is Paused?
There’s a meaningful amount of the process you can complete before interviews resume, and doing so now means you’re ready to move the moment the Embassy reopens for routine appointments.
Complete the DS-160 Application
The DS-160 is the online nonimmigrant visa application form, and it’s substantial — expect to spend an hour or more on it, covering travel history, employment, education, and family details. It generates a confirmation page with a barcode you’ll need at your eventual interview. There’s nothing stopping you from completing this now; it doesn’t require an active appointment slot to submit.
Pay the MRV Fee When You’re Ready to Book
The Machine Readable Visa (MRV) application fee for a B1/B2 is a fixed amount set annually and paid through the designated system for Lebanon once appointment booking becomes possible again. This fee is non-refundable and non-transferable, so there’s little benefit to paying before you’re actually able to select an appointment date.
Assemble Your Supporting Documents
This is the part worth doing now, since it doesn’t depend on the Embassy’s operational status at all:
- A passport valid for at least six months beyond your intended stay in the US (unless a country-specific agreement changes this — confirm for your case)
- Your DS-160 confirmation page
- One recent passport-style photo meeting US visa specifications
- Evidence of ties to Lebanon that support your intent to return — property ownership, employment continuity, family responsibilities
- An employment letter confirming your position, salary, and approved leave, or equivalent documentation if self-employed
- Recent bank statements demonstrating sufficient funds for the trip
- For business travelers, an invitation or itinerary letter from the US host organization
- For family visits, proof of relationship to the person you’re visiting and their US immigration status
Understand the Interview Waiver Landscape
Interview waiver eligibility for visa renewals narrowed in late 2025 — generally now limited to applicants renewing within about 12 months of a prior B1/B2 visa’s expiration, who were 18 or older when that prior visa was issued, and where it was issued with full standard validity. If you’re renewing rather than applying fresh, it’s worth confirming your specific eligibility once appointment scheduling resumes, since a dropbox renewal (no in-person interview) is only available to applicants who qualify.
What Happens Once Appointments Resume?
The standard sequence, once Beirut is scheduling interviews normally again, runs as follows: submit and confirm your DS-160, pay the MRV fee and create an account on the Beirut scheduling platform, select an interview date, attend any required biometrics step, attend the in-person interview itself, and — assuming approval — collect your passport with the visa affixed, typically within about a week.
Processing after a successful interview is typically fast, often a matter of days for straightforward cases, though applications flagged for administrative review (referred to as “221(g)” processing) can take considerably longer and vary case by case.
Why Applications Get Refused?
Refusal patterns for B1/B2 applicants are fairly consistent globally, and Lebanon is no exception:
Weak or thin evidence of ties to Lebanon. Consular officers are assessing non-immigrant intent — whether you’re likely to return home rather than overstay. Ambiguous employment situations or vague travel plans work against you here.
Inconsistencies between the DS-160 and supporting documents. Mismatches in dates, employment details, or travel history invite deeper scrutiny.
Insufficient financial documentation. Bank statements that don’t align with your stated purpose or duration of travel are a common sticking point.
There’s no formal appeal process for a B1/B2 refusal, but you can reapply at any time — the key to a stronger second application is demonstrating what’s changed since the first, whether that’s new employment, additional assets, or a more specific and better-documented itinerary. Reapplying with an identical file rarely produces a different result.
What a B1/B2 Visa Costs?
The MRV application fee is the baseline cost and applies whether or not your application is ultimately approved — it’s non-refundable even in the event of a refusal. Beyond the visa fee itself, budget for courier or pickup logistics for your passport after issuance, and factor in that if you’re refused and choose to reapply, you’ll pay the MRV fee again in full. There’s no separate “visa center service fee” structure in Lebanon the way there is for some Schengen applications, since B1/B2 appointments are booked and paid for directly through the US government’s designated scheduling system rather than a third-party visa center.
Traveling with Family
Each family member, including children, needs their own DS-160, their own MRV fee payment, and — once interviews resume — their own appointment slot, though family appointments are often scheduled back-to-back where the platform allows it. Minors need supporting documentation showing parental consent where only one parent is traveling with the child, and financial sponsorship documentation should make clear whose funds are covering the trip if one family member is the primary earner. As with the Schengen process, the practical risk in group applications is a single inconsistency — a mismatched itinerary date or an incomplete sponsor letter — creating a bottleneck for the whole family’s file rather than just one traveler’s.
Planning Around an Uncertain Timeline
The honest advice for Lebanese travelers right now is to treat the US as a destination you prepare for rather than one you can currently book against a fixed date. That means having your documentation ready, keeping an eye on the Embassy’s official notice, and building flexibility into any itinerary that depends on a US visa coming through on a particular schedule.
This is exactly the kind of situation where planning with a travel advisor earns its keep — not because anyone can influence the Embassy’s timeline, but because a well-sequenced backup plan (alternate destinations, flexible booking terms, travel insurance that accounts for visa delays) protects the rest of your trip even when one piece of it is genuinely out of anyone’s control.
Have questions about planning a US trip under the current circumstances?
Speak with a Fayad Travel destination expert about your documentation and your options.
Frequently Asked Questions
No — as of this writing, routine visa processing, including B1/B2 interviews, is suspended following the February 23, 2026 withdrawal of non-emergency staff. The Embassy remains open for emergency US citizen services. Check the Embassy’s official notice for the current status before making plans.
No. Lebanon is not among the 39 countries covered by Presidential Proclamation 10998. A separate policy pausing immigrant visa issuance for several countries does include Lebanon, but that applies to immigrant (green card) visas, not B1/B2 visitor visas.
Yes. The DS-160 is an online form independent of appointment availability, and completing it now means you’re ready to book as soon as interviews resume.
Evidence of stable ties to Lebanon — employment, property, family responsibilities — combined with a clear, well-documented, and time-limited purpose for the US trip.
No — appointment availability is set entirely by the Embassy, and no agency can expedite or guarantee a Beirut interview slot. What a travel agency can do is help you prepare a complete, well-organized application file and build a realistic, flexible itinerary around an uncertain processing timeline.
