Klobuchar, Moran address visa processing delays with new bill

U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) introduced the Visa Processing Improvement Act on July 27, a bipartisan bill aimed at addressing ongoing delays that have left some waiting for an interview for more than two years.

In a November 2022 media note, the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs attributed the long wait times to pandemic-era restrictions that prevented embassies and consulates from interviewing visa applicants in person. The buildup from these delays, combined with regular season demand, has led to these extended wait times, the department said.

Despite efforts by the department to curb wait times, the median wait time for visitor visas has increased by a month since November, prompting legislators to step in.

“Ongoing delays in visa processing are negatively impacting businesses, universities and families across Kansas and our country,” Moran wrote in a press release. “This straightforward, sensible bill will hold the State Department accountable for the current long wait times required to receive a visitor visa and improve the Visa Processing System for certain applicants.” 

Klobuchar expressed confidence that the Visa Processing Improvement Act will assist in that effort and in lowering wait times globally.

“Our bill will help address backlogs and get people flying faster by increasing staff and improving service at U.S. consulates and embassies, which will bring more international travelers to attractions, restaurants, and hotels across Minnesota and the entire country,” Klobuchar said.

As written, the legislation would require the State Department to set goals for interview wait times and focus resources on the embassies and consulates that fail to meet those goals. It would also allow the department to waive in-person interviews and pilot video conference interviews for pre-vetted and “low risk” applicants.

Such applicants are considered “low-risk” because they are applying for nonimmigrant visas such as for tourism, school or temporary work; are a national of a country with a visa waiver program; have previously held a visa and traveled to the United States; submitted biometric data and have followed the law previously. 

“By modernizing the system while maintaining our national security, we can bolster the economy without compromising our safety,” Moran said.

The bill would also offer applicants an expedited processing fee and the opportunity to extend their visitor visas while in the U.S.

The department’s media note indicated that they are already engaging in some of these practices.

“We have significantly reduced wait times at many embassies and consulates by working with the Department of Homeland Security to expand our authority to waive in-person interviews for certain nonimmigrant visa categories and for many renewals while still ensuring national security,” the note read, adding that almost half of nonimmigrant visas in fiscal 2022 did not involve an in-person interview.

The department also explained that it was redistributing applications with high wait times to those with additional capacity. These, combined with other tactics, allowed the department to process 94% of the nonimmigrant visas and 130% of the immigrant visas they processed in fiscal 2019.

“These achievements are just the beginning of a new approach to our work,” the department wrote. “The dedicated staff of the Department of State will continue these and additional efforts to address the unprecedented demand, so the American people and U.S. economy benefit from keeping our doors open to lawful visitors.”

Despite these efforts, the median wait time for visitor visa interview appointments was just over three months as of Aug. 16, with Bogotá, Colombia, and Mexico City, Mexico, holding the longest wait times of approximately two years and two months. 

Klobuchar and Moran — alongside Sens. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) — subsequently wrote a letter to Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Rena Bitter in February.

In it, they acknowledged the department’s work to decrease wait times and urged further action.

“We understand that the Department is working through significant visa requests after the evacuation of Afghanistan and Russia’s illegal and unprovoked war in Ukraine,” the senators wrote. “Unfortunately, delays in consular processing continue to present roadblocks for both the businesses and communities that rely on our legal immigration system and temporary guest worker, student, and tourist visas to drive our economy and culture.”

In a July 11 response, Bureau of Legislative Affairs Assistant Secretary Naz Durakoğlu said that the department is focusing resources on the 12 embassies and consulates that account for nearly 90 percent of the backlog and would be happy to collaborate with congress members in those efforts.

Tori Emerson Barnes, executive vice president of public affairs and policy at the the U.S. Travel Association, said the wait times have deterred travelers and hindered U.S. competitiveness. She praised the proposed legislation for its potential to mitigate the delays and the resulting consequences on the nation’s competitive position in the global travel industry.

“This bill is critical to increasing staffing and capacity at consular offices around the world and directs the State Department to set processing goals and benchmarks — something the U.S. travel industry has long called for,” Emerson said in a statement to The Hill. “U.S. Travel Association thanks Senators Klobuchar and Moran for introducing this crucial piece of legislation, and for their continued support of the U.S. travel and tourism industry.”