Los Angeles City Council also passed a motion recommending federal policy changes to reduce visitor visa interview wait times. The State Department has taken helpful steps recently, such as opening consulates some Saturdays for additional visa processing and waiving interview for low-risk renewals, but much more work is needed. The mayors pointed to four recommendations to accelerate visitor visa processing:Set clear timelines to restore efficient visa processing. By September 30, 2023, reinstate the Executive Order to provide interview appointments for 80% of nonimmigrant visa applicants within 21 days or less. Visa processing delays are detrimental to restoring the inbound travel sector and the broader U.S. economic recovery.

Source: Ethiopian News February 14, 2023 04:52 UTC