Recent reports have surfaced stating that some visa processing times are longer than ever before. While this is certainly concerning, it’s important to understand what all of these numbers mean.
It seems every week there is an article about how much time it takes VISA (the name of the business that does all of the background checks for international travel) to process visas. Some say it can take weeks, others say months!
The exact timing will vary depending on many different factors such as the country being processed in and their current workload.
In fact, VISA themselves states that the average wait time per person is around 10 days today. That means if you were traveling with one traveler, your trip would only be 2-3 weeks long!
This article will go into more detail about what all those other numbers mean though.
First, some consulates require additional documents or proof before issuing you a visa. These can include proof of residence, job offers, or statements about whether you have enough money to stay in America.
Second, some countries ask for more documentation than others. Some governments place very high demands on paperwork, making it difficult to gather everything needed in a short amount of time.
Third, some countries do not agree that all required documents prove your intentions to remain in America permanently. They may want to know if you will return home after your visit or if you will be staying elsewhere while you are here.
Many countries have limited numbers of business visas available, which makes it difficult to source one if you are looking to live in or travel to that area for an extended period of time. This can be due to a lack of qualified visa agencies, or because companies have closed down as there’s not much money left in the economy.
In some cases, governments only give out very few business visas every year and they are quickly consumed. This isn’t ideal when you want to start a new career or take long breaks from work. You may also run into issues finding accommodation and/or working while you’re looking for your next job.
Recent investigations have revealed that not only are there rampant amounts of visa fraud in your country, but also that most of it goes undetected because consulate officials spend very little time reviewing applications.
Many embassies allocate just one day per week to review visas, which can easily be missed if someone does not attend work that day. More than half (52%) of diplomatic posts surveyed said they would need two full days at least once every three months to complete their job effectively, and 36% needed more than one day per month!
This means that anyone who attempts to enter or exit the country must do so before this period, making detection virtually impossible. Some countries even don’t have enough staff available to ensure effective monitoring, with nearly a third saying they didn’t have the resources to conduct proper due diligence when hiring new employees.
This week, Congress failed to agree on how much money it has to spend. As a result, funding for most federal agencies is now on hold.
Most people are aware that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) get their regular budget through appropriations. These budgets typically run from one or two months’ supply all the way up to several years’ worth of spending.
But what many don't know is that other departments also have an annual appropriation. For example, NASA gets its yearly allocation in October every year.
This can make it difficult to maintain effective operations while the government is closed. At the very least, there's no guarantee that vital resources will remain available.
You may be asked to show proof of payment during the reopening process, which could lengthen your visit. And even after the facility is back open, you might need to wait until your department receives its budget before being able to leave or continue working.
A few days ago, there was an earthquake in Mexico. It has now been over a week since this devastating event occurred, but it seems like it will continue to have lasting effects for years to come.
Many people are still recovering in hospitals across the country and there are concerns about how long it will take to restore power and basic services to affected areas.
Visiting a place after a major tragedy can be difficult because there’s only so much you can do while others are supporting each other. At that time, most people feel helpless and even if they aren’t working, you can always find someone who is!
So today we're going to talk about something that many of us use credit cards for every day- traveling. While no one wants to spend money on expensive airfare or hotels when there's a crisis happening overseas, it's also important to realize just how much of your visa processing depends on things outside of their control.
Over the past two months, there has been an explosion of activity surrounding visa processing times. It all began in June when reports surfaced that United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) was creating too much congestion at its headquarters during peak hours.
At the time, some media outlets reported that USCIS employees were working more than 150 hours per week to meet demand and keep up with applications.
This prompted then-Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen to address the situation directly in a letter obtained by CNN. In the letter, she wrote that “reports of widespread, prolonged excessive workloads are deeply troubling” and said she would be notifying Congress about it.
Since then, other major national news organizations have picked up where CNN left off and published similar stories about overworked and understaffed immigration offices across the country.
These include The Washington Post, which reported last month how USCIS facilities were running out of space to house paperwork and records, and The Guardian, which exposed how staff members had to spend extended amounts of time performing administrative tasks such as entering data into computer systems or finding ways to reroute applicants to another office so they could complete their forms.
In fact, one former senior official told The Guardian that USCIS workers spent nearly half their shifts simply answering the phone because there wasn’t anyone available to take new appointments.
As mentioned earlier, there are several reasons why it can be difficult to process your visa quickly. One major reason is that most people do not have enough time to spend doing business abroad.
A large part of this comes from the fact that many people start working with an agent as soon as they decide to visit a country. This is great if you are well-connected, but it may mean that you have to wait until their workload has decreased before applying yourself!
Another cause is that some agents enjoy being in a position where they can make money exclusively through referrals, which leaves little incentive to do anything else.
There is no set time frame to process your visa application, however most embassies have minimum deadline times for visas. These deadlines vary by country and also depend on how many applicants there are in comparison to their available resources.
Most countries will not accept applications more than six months before your intended travel date. This is because they do not have enough staff or resources to handle all of the applications that arrive well after the due date.
If you apply early, then it can leave little time to confirm all information, gather documents, and make sure everything is ready! Avoid applying earlier than necessary unless you have proof that the embassy would be able to process your application very quickly.
By applying later than needed, you will have extra time to prepare and check off items on your list! Plus, you’ll get to enjoy your trip longer.
