Visa backlogs soon to rise

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New policies mean more work for those issuing visa, but no extra personnel or resources will be provided to manage the load.

New interview requirements for most foreigners seeking U.S. entry are being implemented, and with them comes much more work for consular staff. But the workers have been told by the State Department not to expect any additional help to tackle the new workload. Effective this summer, the new interview policy is expected to cause huge backlogs in the visa-issuance process. 

In correspondence from the State Department to field offices, appointment systems and better "workload management" were the only suggestions offered for how to deal with the increased amount of work. Vague references to "additional resources," but clearly don't refer to new staffing or any significant improvements in the system. In fact, the message said "To reiterate, however, posts must implement the new interview guidelines 
using existing resources," the cable stated. "Posts should not, repeat not, 
use overtime to deal with additional workload requirements but should 
develop appointment systems and public relations strategies to mitigate as 
much as possible the impact of these changes."

One of numerous national-security measures adopted by the State Department after 9/11/02, this policy's implementation deadline is August 1. According to Stuart Pratt, a consular-affairs bureau spokesman, nearly 80% of all those who apply for visa-admission to the US each year would be effected.

The State Department has no illusions. Although it promised to work closely with field offices and encouraged more productive work methods, it acknowledged that delays are to be expected for an indefinite amount of time, starting in the near future. 

This comes as no surprise to the many representatives of business, tourism, educational and cultural-exchange industries, who argued that face-to-face interviews would wreak havoc on American business interests due to all kinds of travel delays. 

Actually, the State Department did hire between 800 and 1,000 new officers as part of its "diplomatic readiness initiative," and foreign service officers will also be increased. But the number of new programs after 9/11 calls for even more staffing. 

For some, the increased measures provide peace of mind, for others, they cause nothing but headaches. 

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