Foster Leads Effort to Increase Transparency in Immigrant Visa Wait Times

Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) led 81 Members of Congress in calling for an increase in transparency on wait times for immigrant visa interviews.

In a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the Members wrote:

"As of August 2022, the number of immigrant visa applicants awaiting appointments at Embassies and Consulates reached 421,668. Once applicants reach this stage in the immigrant visa application process, information becomes scarce, with the U.S. Department of State publishing no data on visa appointment wait times, nor the number of interviews conducted per month or the number of cases in the queue. These wait times vary widely among consulates, leaving applicants in the dark and potentially in a years-long limbo [...]

"While we understand the immigrant visa process is exceedingly backlogged due to the COVID-19 pandemic, delays and extended wait times are very detrimental to applicants, their families, and our workforce. Therefore, we urge the U.S. Department of State to continue its efforts to reduce the backlogs within our immigration system, but in the meantime, to provide the wait time transparency that our constituents deserve."

A full copy of the letter can be found here.

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