
Foreign nationals applying for consular initial visas (including consular Resident Worker Visas and Appointed Worker Visas) are currently experiencing adjudication delays at the National Superintendence of Immigration. Some foreign nationals are currently experiencing processing times of three months or more for visa approvals (up from the legal standard processing time of 30 business days), and one month or more for post-approval issuance of local identification cards (up from the usual one week). Foreign nationals require a local identification card to be enrolled in local payroll. As a result, foreign nationals and employers seeking to apply for a visa through a consular process should gather documents and submit their immigration applications earlier than usual and should expect delayed work and payroll start dates during the next several months. In-country visa applications are currently unaffected. Fragomen is informing affected applicants of possible delays and will report on relevant developments.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].
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