U.S. Visa Issuance Delays Possible Worldwide Due to State Department System Outage

The State Department’s consular database is currently offline after technical problems that was reported late Wednesday. The outage means that foreign nationals awaiting U.S. visa issuance may experience delays. 

Because of the system outage, consulates are unable to complete visa stamping in the passports of applicants. In addition, visa applicants may be unable to check the status of their applications online. Issuance of U.S. passports and consular reports of birth abroad is also affected. 

Despite the outage, consulates are still conducting visa appointments. The online systems for completing visa application forms and making interview appointments remain in operation. However, if the system outage persists, the State Department could curtail these services while it addresses application backlogs. 

Fragomen is in close contact with U.S. consular officials and will issue further updates as new information becomes available. For assistance with urgent cases, please contact your designated Fragomen professional.