Increased Work Visa Application Volume Results in Processing Delays

 

Due to an increase in the volume of work visa applications and staffing issues within the new immigration administration, foreign nationals filing work visa applications, especially Appointed Worker Visa applications, have been facing processing and issuance delays. Processing times were once three to four weeks, but now may exceed the maximum government-mandated timeframes of 30 business days (six weeks) for consular processes, and 60 business days (twelve weeks) for in-country processes.

In addition, there is currently a three-week wait for appointments to file in-country change of status applications.

Filing Complaints

Only once the processing time of a case has exceeded the above mandatory time frames, the employer or an authorized representative can file a complaint to formally request a case decision and to review the file during an appointment with the corresponding immigration officer. This request may reduce the prolonged processing times.

What This Means for Employers and Foreign Nationals

Since it is unclear how long the processing delays may last, employers should submit work visa applications at least three months in advance of the employee’s start date.

Employers or authorized representatives interested in filing a complaint with the Immigration authority should contact their immigration professional to discuss filing options.

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].