New staff and improved appointment situation
The U.S. State Department is deploying more staff worldwide to reduce long wait times for visa applications and consular appointments.
Since the end of the 2021 Travel Ban, U.S. consulates have experienced significant delays in processing pending and new applications. In particular, interview appointments for visitor visas (B-1/B-2) for tourists or business travelers were repeatedly associated with enormously long waiting times. As recently as June 2022, the next appointments for a B interview at one of the three U.S. consulates in Germany were not available until spring 2023.
Visa applications at U.S. consulates
After about 50% more new appointments in 2022 at U.S. offices, the situation has currently eased considerably at the three German U.S. consulates in Berlin, Frankfurt, and Munich. Visitor visa applicants now receive appointments within about four to eight weeks. However, travelers planning a visit to the U.S. in the near future who need a B visa should make sure they get an appointment as soon as possible, as the appointment situation can change again at short notice. The goal of the increased staffing remains to bring visa processing times in line with those prior to the pandemic and to ensure expeditious processing in the visa application process.
Need help with your visa application? Please feel free to contact us.
Sources:
https://www.state.gov/briefings-foreign-press-centers/update-on-visa-services
https://www.voanews.com/a/us-visa-processing-delays-called-worst-since-9-11-/6685941.html
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