Introduced in House
Reducing Visa Delays Act
SEC. 1. SHORT TITLETrack this section →
This Act may be cited as the Reducing Visa Delays Act.
SEC. 2. REPORT AND AUTHORIZATION REGARDING EMBASSY STAFFING LEVELS AND VISA WAIT TIMESTrack this section →
(a) Report to Congress Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to Congress a report regarding— (1) the adequacy of staffing levels at United States embassies and consulates to reduce visa processing wait times and visa appointment delays; (2) whether each embassy and consulate is equipped with the technology and resources necessary to efficiently carry out the consular duties of such embassy or consulate; (3) the effects of the social media vetting policies for visa applicants instituted by the Secretary after January 20, 2025, on visa processing wait times and visa appointment delays; and (4) the number of security flags that were identified through such social media vetting. (b) Publication of wait times The Secretary shall publish monthly on a publically accessible website of the Department of State— (1) information regarding the previous average and current estimated time between an interview for a visa and the adjudication of the application for such visa, in aggregate and disaggregated by diplomatic or consular post and visa category; and (2) a justification for such average and estimated times. (c) Strategic plan for increased staffing The Secretary shall develop a strategic plan— (1) to increase staffing levels at consular offices and embassies to reduce visa appointment wait times and processing delays; and (2) that includes any other solutions found to reduce appointment wait times and processing delays with respect to visa processing.