MANILA, Philippines – The US Embassy in the Philippines denied on Monday reports saying the US has canceled tourist visas and suspended visa applications and renewals.
“The U.S. Embassy in the Philippines is aware of a fraudulent advisory alleging the cancellation/revocation of tourist visas and the suspension of visa applications,” said the US Embassy in a statement. “These claims are not true.”
“Please note that US visa policy in the Philippines has not changed,” it added.
The Embassy is referring to posts circulating online saying the US decision to change the visa policy in the country is due to the novel coronavirus outbreak and President Rodrigo Duterte’s termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement.
The US Embassy directed the public to ph.usembassy.gov and its official social media accounts for accurate and current information on the Embassy. It also encouraged the public to report visa and passport fraud to FPMManila@state.gov.