Consulates Resume Issuing Nonimmigrant Visas, But Delays Persist

U.S. consulates are once again issuing nonimmigrant visas (NIVs) in the wake of last week’s State Department database outage, but are giving priority to green card cases. According to the latest official estimates, some NIV applicants could see delays of up to 10 to 14 days while the agency works to return systems to full functionality and address backlogs. 

It could take several weeks or more to fully restore the consular database. Until it is functioning normally, consulates could limit nonimmigrant visa interviews and other services. 

The unprecedented visa system problems began July 20, after the State Department performed a software upgrade. From July 20-28, U.S. consulates processed roughly half the normal number of nonimmigrant visas, creating a backlog of more than 200,000 NIV applications. 

What This Means for Foreign Nationals and Employers 

If you are a nonimmigrant visa applicant with a need to travel soon, contact your designated Fragomen professional for assistance. In emergency situations, consulates have the capacity to process visa applications more quickly. In non-emergency cases, you may be able to request the return of your passport so that you can travel while awaiting the final processing of your pending visa application, though in most cases you will not be able to reenter the United States unless your current visa remains valid. 

Fragomen continues to monitor visa issuance at U.S. consulates worldwide. We will provide further updates as we receive new information about nonimmigrant visa processing in the wake of the system outage.