On August 10, 2022, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) Consular Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary for Visa Services, Julie M. Stufft, shared updates regarding the status of immigrant and nonimmigrant visa processing at U.S. embassies and consulates around the world. An overview of these updates is provided below.
Rate of Non-Immigrant & Immigrant Visa Processing
This year, U.S. consular posts overseas have adjudicated approximately 70 percent more nonimmigrant visas than last year. This amounts to roughly 800,000 nonimmigrant visa applications at posts overseas. According to Ms. Stufft, this figure is around 80 percent of pre-pandemic levels, and is growing steadily. With reference to immigrant visa processing, Ms. Stufft stated that pre-pandemic backlogs have decreased by 25 percent and adjudications for immigrant visas are at about 95 percent overseas.
Increased Staff Hiring at Consular Posts
Ms. Stufft stated that the DOS is actively engaged in increasing the number of consular officers adjudicating visas at consular locations around the world. The department has doubled consular officer hiring in 2022 compared to last year and has a growing team of experienced adjudicators who are supporting high demand posts by remotely adjudicating visa cases. The advantage of having a higher number of consular officers adjudicating cases remotely is that it allows more time for applicants who are required to come in for an in-person interview.
Applying as a Third Country National
On the possibility of applying as a third country national, Ms. Stufft stated that the DOS is viewing visa workload globally, and hence, applicants are currently permitted to apply for a U.S. visa anywhere in the world, depending on appointment availability. This means that if an applicant is in a country with long visa wait times, that applicant may go to another consular post and apply from that location. While this is not ideal, the advantage is that an applicant does not need to be a citizen of the country from where the application is being made and must only be physically present in that country.
Conclusion
As U.S. consular posts across the world continue to work towards achieving pre-pandemic levels of visa processing, updates will be posted on MurthyIndiaDotCom when information is available. A recording of the session with Ms. Stufft can be found here.