The Consular Newsletter (August 04-10, 2025)
This week, the U.S. plans $15,000 visa deposit requirements on visitors from Malawi and Zambia, while the UK asks China to clarify its redacted embassy plans.
Every Monday, the Consular Newsletter updates consular officials, diplomats, migration lawyers, researchers, and travel industry professionals with the latest major news on consular affairs and diplomatic networks. Keep informed!
Contents: A. Announcements. B. Video of the week. C. Consular affairs. D. The diplomatic and consular networks database and rankings. E. Passports, visas, and migration fraud. F. Perspectives. G. Get daily news. H. Support consular research. I. Thanks.
A. Announcements
Got a story, perspective, or analysis to share? The Consular Magazine invites writings on migration and travel – especially where government policy, action, or diplomacy play a role. The Magazine is open to all, from students and young professionals to seasoned experts.
If you are a media professional or organization interested in updating The Diplomatic and Consular Networks Database and Rankings or partnering with the Center, feel free to contact us.
B. Video of the week
C. Consular affairs
Multiple continents
Attention, pet owners: your fur baby will need their own passport to visit these countries. Time Out
Exiled to silence: U.S. deportees held in isolation in Eswatini prison. The Organization for World Peace
US requires Zambia, Malawi citizens to pay up to $15,000 bond for some visitor visas. Reuters
Visitors from Malawi & Zambia must soon pay deposits for visas to enter U.S. CNN
Why some tourists may soon need to pay a $15,000 visa bond. Kiplinger
Woman goes to update passport photo – can't cope with what happens next. Newsweek
Americas
Mexican official who praised Trump's deportations has visa revoked. Newsweek
State Department revives diversity visa passport regulations. Bloomberg Law
Texas “Trump Burger” chain owner faces deportation over visa fraud claims. La Voce di New York
US Embassy: using a visa solely to give birth in the U.S. is grounds for denial. Business Media
Asia
Hong Kong cancels passports, bans financial support for wanted activists. Al Jazeera
Passport renunciation for Chinese spouses proposed. Taipei Times
Europe
Immigration 'loophole' Brazen YouTube ‘coaches’ teaching thousands of migrants how to bring their whole families to UK using little-known visa. The Sun
Tube staff face deportation under new visa rules. BBC
Africa, Middle East, Oceania, and Pacific Islands
Stay tuned for next week's newsletter.
D. The diplomatic and consular networks database and rankings
8,000 consular services provided to Syrians in Libya… embassy to reopen soon. Enab Baladi
Bahrain to open consulate in Iraq's Kurdistan Region. BNE Intellinews
Hackers, secret cables and security fears: the explosive fight over the UK's new Chinese embassy. BBC
India hands control of Afghan Consulate in Hyderabad to Taliban rep. Afghanistan International
Justice Department to seek federal hate crime charges and death penalty in killing of Israeli Embassy staffers. CNN
Lawler introduces Secure Our Embassies Act to enhance counterintelligence coordination. Quiver Quantitative
Nigerian diaspora group raises alarm over embassy conditions in New York. The Guardian Nigeria
Shocker from Canada's Surrey: 'Embassy of Khalistan' board seen on Gurdwara premises. News18
UK asks China to explain blanked-out embassy plans. BBC
Are you aware of any recent openings or closures of embassies, high commissions, consular posts, or permanent missions? Feel free to update the database: https://arcg.is/1TDPiy1
E. Passport, visas, and migration fraud
Golden visa nightmare – fraud warning issued. Detained in Dubai
How travel advisors can combat online crime and cyber attacks. TravelPulse
Judge allows defamation suit against Newsweek reporter to proceed amid allegations of visa fraud conspiracy. International Business Times
Saratoga resident defrauded out of $1.2 million by phony foreign consulate rep. The Mercury News
Warrant issued after Harrisburg man stole $64K from people trying to buy visas. WPMT Fox43
F. Perspectives
Embassy clashes – Macartney's veiled chase through Tartary's frontiers (by Steven).
Hackers, secret cables and security fears: the explosive fight over China's new embassy in the UK (by MARIA ZUPPELLO).
How to register a baby born in Mexico as a U.S. citizen (by Andrea).
In which I am summoned to the American Embassy (by Melanie Benjamin).
Is China’s visa-free transit policy right for you? (by Lim Yian Lu).
Israeli Embassy in Greece denies reports of staff evacuation (by The Prattler).
No, you can’t just buy a house and get a visa. But... (by ITS Journal).
Should we introduce a Passport Tax? (by Notes by Jason O'Mahony).
Sunday edition: my passport adventure (by Mary Kunz Goldman).
The battery passport is coming and the industry won’t be the same (by Christopher Chico).
Visa bonds – America First immigration reform (by Brian C Joondeph, MD, MPS).
Why I left America (and it wasn't about the visa) (by Sang).
The views expressed are those of the authors only and not the Center.
G. Get daily news
Consular affairs via Bluesky, Facebook, KakaoTalk, Line, LinkedIn, Substack, Telegram, Threads, Viber, VK, WhatsApp, and X.
The diplomatic and consular networks database and rankings via LinkedIn.
Passports, visas, and migration fraud via LinkedIn.
H. Support consular research
Support is possible via a donation. Your generosity helps a lot. Thank you very much.
I. Thanks
Partner: Yonsei University.
We are grateful to the news sources that contributed to bringing you this week's highlights. The views expressed are those of the authors only and not the Center.
Thanks for tagging my post !
Thanks for the mention!