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Marrakech – The US Embassy in Morocco announced on Sunday that all visa appointments at the US Consulate in Casablanca have been canceled for Monday, June 29, citing technical issues.
“Due to technical issues, visa appointments at U.S. Consulate Casablanca are canceled tomorrow, Monday June 29. If your visa appointment was canceled, we will contact you to reschedule,” the embassy said in a statement. Appointments for US citizen services will continue as scheduled, the embassy added.
The disruption comes at a sensitive moment. Demand for US visas among Moroccan travelers has surged in connection with the 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
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The Atlas Lions are set to face the Netherlands on Monday night in the Round of 32 at Monterrey Stadium in Mexico after finishing second in Group C with seven points, level with Brazil. Morocco went unbeaten through the group stage, drawing 1-1 with Brazil, beating Scotland 1-0, and defeating Haiti 4-2.
Morocco’s last three World Cup matches all took place in the United States: against Brazil at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, against Scotland at Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, and against Haiti at Atlanta Stadium in Georgia.
The visa cancellations add to an already fraught situation for Moroccan fans seeking to travel to the tournament. Dozens of supporters have been denied US visas in recent weeks despite holding match tickets and hotel bookings.
The Sports Association of Moroccan National Team Fans reported earlier that 40 of its 42 applicants were refused visas without a clear explanation. The “Sbouaa” (Lions) supporters’ group said only six of nearly 50 coordinators received approval.
The consulate affected by Monday’s shutdown is itself brand new. On April 30, the US inaugurated a $350 million compound in the Casablanca Finance City (CFC) district.
US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, Ambassador Duke Buchan III, and Consul General Marissa Scott-Torres led the ceremony alongside Royal Advisor Fouad Ali El Himma and Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita.
Buchan called the facility a symbol of nearly 250 years of US-Morocco ties. “Morocco is home to America’s oldest diplomatic property, the American Legation in Tangier. Today, we open America’s newest diplomatic facility in the world here in Casablanca,” he said. The 2.7-hectare campus is ten times larger than the previous headquarters, according to Scott-Torres.
The embassy did not specify when canceled appointments would be rescheduled.
