NewsFlash! DOS Computer Problems No Longer Causing Many Delays

On August 13, 2014, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) provided some good news in an update regarding the visa delays caused by last month’s computer crash:

“We have made significant progress and issued most of the worldwide backlog of nonimmigrant visa cases. We are working to bring the Consular Consolidated Database back to full operational capacity. We continue to prioritize immigrant visas, adoption cases, and emergency nonimmigrant visa cases. We are printing visas for these cases and all cases with very few delays. Please check with the embassy or consulate where you will apply for additional information. Please see our FAQs for more information.”

—–31.Jul.2014 Update:

On July 30, 2014, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) answered a number of frequently asked questions (FAQs) and issued the following update related to the recent computer crash that has led to delays in visa and passport processing:

“The Department of State continues to work to restore our visa system to full functionality.

  • “We anticipate it will take weeks to resume full visa processing capacity.
  • “We continue to prioritize immigrant visas, including adoption cases. So far, we have been able to issue most cases with few delays.
  • “Nearly all passports are currently being issued within our customer service standards, despite the system problems. We are able to issue passports for emergency travel.”

—– 29.Jul.2014 Update:

NewsFlash! DOS Computer Crash Update

On July 29, the DOS provided the following update:

“The Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs continues to make progress restoring our nonimmigrant visa system to full functionality. Over the weekend, the Department of State implemented system changes aimed at optimizing performance and addressing the challenges we have faced. We are now testing our system capacity to ensure stability. Processing of immigrant visas cases, including adoptions, remains a high priority. Some Embassies and Consulates may temporarily limit or reschedule nonimmigrant visa interview appointments until more system resources become available to process these new applications. We sincerely regret the inconvenience to travelers, and are committed to resolving the problem as soon as possible. Additional updates will be posted to travel.state.gov as more information becomes available.”

—–Original 24.Jul.2014 Post:

NewsFlash! DOS Computer Crash Causing Delays in Visa Issuance

A computer glitch in a key U.S. Department of State (DOS) database is causing delays in the issuance of visas and passports at U.S. consulates around the world. According to the DOS, “[t]he Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs is currently experiencing technical problems with our passport / visa system. This issue is worldwide and is not specific to any particular country, citizenship document, or visa category. We apologize to applicants who are experiencing delays or are unable to obtain a passport, Consular Report of Birth Abroad, or visa at this time. We are working urgently to correct the problem and expect our system to be fully operational again soon.”

MurthyDotCom will post additional details as soon as more information becomes available.

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