State Department: Improvements to ‘administrative processing’ streamline visa adjudication

The State Department said it has reduced the time required for “administrative processing”— additional screening that must be undertaken before a consular officer can approve a visa application.

Key Points:

• Visa applications may go through administrative processing for a number of reasons, including for more thorough security vetting.
• In a recent statement, the State Department said it has “adopted new technology and enhanced coordination” to reduce the number of visa cases that must go through administrative processing.
• The Department also said that since Oct. 22, 2022, most cases that would have previously required administrative processing were “resolved immediately without additional, time-consuming handling.”
• The Department said that “every prospective traveler is subject to extensive security screening,” but that it has taken a number of steps, including coordinating with the National Vetting Center, to streamline the application process.

BAL Analysis: BAL saw an uptick in administrative processing last spring, but in the months since then the State Department has taken steps to reduce the burden on applicants. Not only are fewer cases going through administrative processing, but those that do are often resolved more quickly. BAL will continue to follow this trend and will provide updates as information becomes available.

This alert has been provided by the BAL U.S. Practice Group. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.

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