The Department of State (“DOS”) published an update on the their efforts to tackle the visa backlogs that they have been faced with worldwide due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The DOS is committed to lowering visa interview wait times and optimistically reports embassies and consulates are “recovering faster than projected” and will return to pre-pandemic processing capacity this year.

As part of its attempt to clear the visa processing backlogs, the DOS is doubling its hiring of U.S. Foreign Service personnel to offset the more than 300 overseas consular officer positions that remained vacant in 2020 and 2021. The loss of staff is a result of lower travel to the U.S. during the pandemic because of travel restrictions, fewer visa applications, and the consequent loss of revenue for the DOS. To facilitate visa processing and cut down wait times, along with the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”), DOS also began to offer mail in services for processing visas, forgoing in person interviews for several visa categories. Now, in order to further streamline the visa process, DOS has enabled “applicants renewing nonimmigrant visas in the same classification within 48 months of their prior visa’s expiration” to apply for renewals “without an in-person interview in their country of nationality or residence.” Furthermore, acknowledging the fact some visa applicants are faced with extremely long wait times in certain consulates and embassies in their own home countries, DOS has encouraged “any visa applicant who can travel to another embassy or consulate with shorter wait times to consider doing so.” The Department notes “there is no penalty for applying anywhere appointments are available”, including outside of the foreign national’s home country.

The DOS’ announcement is a beacon of hope those who have put their lives on hold because of prohibitively long visa processing wait times, some of which are currently a year or longer. Many lives have been disrupted by the possibility of being away for months from their jobs and lives in the US, and many foreign nationals have been unable to travel outside of the US due to the extensive visa processing backlogs.