According to reports, visa delays, backlogs, and unprecedented
wait times at U.S. embassies and consulates are causing disruptions
for workers and companies, particularly those employing workers in
temporary statuses who need to renew their visas outside the United
States.
For example, excluding student and visitor visas, wait times for
visas in Istanbul, Turkey, exceed 16 months; in New Delhi, India,
wait times hover at nine months for the thousands of highly skilled
temporary workers coming to the United States on H-1B and L-1
visas. Business visa processing in Chile can take up to three
years.
The delays are thought to be at least partly the result of
increased travel demand related to the COVID-19 pandemic, staffing
issues at embassies and consulates, and a two-year shutdown of
processing guestworker visas by the Trump administration. Some
business groups and immigration attorneys advocate measures such as
allowing remote interviews or permitting those with
