As of May 18, 2016, the U.S. Embassy in Caracas is no longer able to provide new appointments for first-time business or tourist visa applicants. There will be limited visa appointments for visa renewals and for first-time applicants for any petition-based, student, or investor visas, but wait times for the appointments will be longer than in the past, due to staffing shortages arising from the refusal of the Venezuelan government to issue visas for U.S. Embassy personnel.