MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

US Embassy in Paraguay resumes visa appointments

A US visa is a privilege for those granted one, the Embassy recalled

The United States' Embassy in Asunción announced Friday the resumption of appointments with applicants seeking a visa. The diplomatic mission also requested that those interested switch their social media account configurations to “public” for deeper vetting.

Since 2019, visa applicants must provide their social media identities in their immigrant and non-immigrant application forms. “We use all available information in our assessment and verification of visas to identify inadmissible applicants to the United States, including those posing a threat to US national security,” the Embassy insisted.

This requirement stems from the need for those who request admission into the country not to seek to harm American interests, it was explained. The diplomatic mission also underlined that a US visa was not a right, but a privilege for those who obtain it.

“Pursuant to the Presidential Proclamation Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other Threats to National Security and Public Safety, effective at 12:01 a.m. ET on June 9, 2025, the United States is suspending or restricting entry and visa issuance to nationals of certain countries. Applicants subject to this Presidential Proclamation may still submit visa applications and attend scheduled interviews, but may not be eligible for visa issuance or admission to the United States. For more information, visit travel.state.gov,” the Embassy noted.

In addition, the US Embassy's website in Spanish (https://py.usembassy.gov/es/) recalls that there is a US$ 2 million reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction of the Uruguayan national Sebastían Enrique Marset Cabrera, who is wanted in the United States for money laundering and in Paraguay and Bolivia for narcotics trafficking.