October 18, 2002 - Nonimmigrant visa holders who are planning to apply for new visas while overseas during the holiday season should be prepared for the increased possibility of lengthy visa processing delays.

For the past several months, the State Department has implemented new security screening measures to the visa application process. These screening measures allow consular officials adjudicating visa applications to request a security clearance for a given visa applicant before issuing a visa. These security clearance requests can sometimes delay a visa application by as much as eight weeks.

Prior news reports have indicated that the State Department is typically requesting security clearances for any visa application received from men aged 16 to 45 who are nationals of any of the following countries: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

However, other visa applicants have been chosen for security clearance, even if they are not nationals of those countries. Individuals who have even traveled through any of the above-listed countries may be selected for security clearance screening. Further, consular officers have wide discretion to select anyone for a security clearance, should they deem it appropriate for any reason.

As a result, individuals planning international trips abroad, and who must apply for a new visa before they return to the United States, are advised to budget enough time to ensure their return travel plans are not delayed by potential security clearance wait times. Visa applicants eligible for visa revalidation (obtaining a renewed visa within the same visa category) may want to consider applying for visa revalidation within the United States before traveling abroad. (Bear in mind that visa revalidation may well take anywhere from eight to twelve weeks during toward the end of the calendar year.) At this date, therefore, it is uncertain whether any visa revalidation application filed with the State Department will be approved in time for holiday season travel.

In summary, those who are planning to apply for nonimmigrant visas outside the United States should be prepared for the possibility of lengthy delays in visa processing times. Individuals who are from the countries identified above are at particular risk of such security delays, but any visa applicant, regardless of nationality or gender, may possibly be subject to lengthy security clearances. Individuals are therefore advised to plan their international trips accordingly.

For questions or concerns regarding this announcement, please don't hesitate to contact Daniel Horne at (415) 743-9605, or at daniel@usabal.com.