H1B Visa Lawyer Blog

When there are severe disturbances in countries, such as natural disasters, civil unrest, war, or security concerns, U.S. embassies can be forced to change the manner in which they provide their visa services. Currently, visa services are limited in Cote D’Ivoire, Finland, Montenegro, Netherlands Antilles, Saudi Arabia, and Syria.

The U.S. Embassy Abidjan in Cote D’Ivoire is providing limited nonimmigrant visa services for applicants with emergency travel needs. The U.S. Embassy in Helsinki, Finland is undergoing renovations, but provides the options for appointments to be scheduled at the U.S. Embassy Tallinn in Estonia, while its services are limited. In Montenegro, priority is being given to Montenegrin students, business people, and emergency cases. They too offer appointments elsewhere, namely at the U.S. Embassy Podgorica. The U.S. Consulate General Curaçao in the Netherlands Antilles is currently providing nonimmigrant visa services to applicants with Dutch passports, and only those who are applying for certain categories of nonimmigrant visas. For all other nonimmigrant and immigrant visa applications, they are being processesd at U.S. Embassy Caracas, Venezuela. The U.S. Consulate General Jeddah in Saudi Arabia is processing A, G, J, F, and B-1/B-2 visas for diplomats and government officials, employees and representatives to international organizations, government sponsored international exchange visitor programs, students, and businesses and tourists, respectively. Immigrant visa services for all residents of the country are provided at U.S. Embassy Riyadh and other nonimmigrant visa categories are being handled at U.S. Embassy Riyadh as well as U.S. Consulate General Dhahran. In Syria, U.S. Embassy Damascus is providing limited immigrant and nonimmigrant visa services.

Visa services are suspended in Minsk, Belarus until further notice, but nonimmigrant visa applicants resident in Belarus may apply in person at these suggested locations: U.S. Embassy Moscow, Russia; U.S. Consulate General St. Petersburg, Russia; U.S. Embassy Warsaw, Poland; U.S. Embassy Kyiv, Ukraine; and U.S. Embassy Vilnius, Lithuania. Similarly, full visa services are suspended until further notice in Asmara, Eritrea, but nonimmigrant visa applications are being processed for limited categories including A, G, F, and J visas for diplomats and government officials, employees and representatives to international organizations, students, and exchange visitors, respectively. Nonimmigrant visa applicants residing in Eritrea may apply in person at these suggested locations: U.S. Embassy Cairo, Egypt, and U.S. Embassy Nairobi, Kenya. Immigrant visa services for residents of the country are provided at the same locations. All visa services are suspended indefinitely at the U.S. Embassy Tripoli, in Libya.

The Department of State, being dedicated to the protection of American borders and the safety of American citizens, has 222 visa-issuing embassies, worldwide, that adjudicate millions of visa applications each year. The U.S. recognizes the importance of international travel to the American domestic economy and is taking steps to keep up with the demand for visas; a consular officer may interview over 100 visa applicants per day. Over 9.6 million visas were processed in the 2011 fiscal year. That is a 17% increase in processed visas from the previous fiscal year. The past five years has brought a 234% increase in visa issuances in Brazil, 124% increase in China, 51% increase in India, and a 24% increase in Mexico. The Department of Commerce reports that of the 60 million visitors to the U.S. last year, 35% entered with State Department issued visa. This international travel generated $134 billion in revenue and helped to support 1.1 million U.S. jobs last year. The Department of Commerce also estimates that by 2016, the number of U.S. visitors could reach 88 million.

In order to meet the growing demand of visas, more personnel and resources are being dedicated to visa adjudications especially in China and Brazil in the fiscal year 2012. In China and Brazil, 98 adjudicators are being hired, many of whom already speak Mandarin or Portuguese, as well as expanding facilities at which visas can be processed and applicants can be interviewed.

Student visa interview appointments have wait times less than 15 days. These visas are prioritized because of the social, intellectual, and economic benefits that foreign students bring to the U.S. Foreign students contributed almost $20 billion to the domestic economy in the 2009-10 academic year.