A State Department spokesperson has stated that technological glitches in the Consular Consolidated Database have caused the system to crash, resulting in significant delays in the processing of visas and passports for potentially millions of people around the world. According to the Associated Press, State Department spokesperson Marie Harf has stated that since Saturday, July 19, unspecified glitches in the database have resulted in "significant performance issues, including outages" in the processing of applications for passports, visas and reports of Americans born abroad. Ms. Harf also stated that the problems with the database have resulted in a significant backlog in the processing of applications, which has hampered efforts to get the system back online.

The State Department did not identify how many individuals may be affected by the database problem, but stated that the problem is world-wide and is not specific to any country, citizenship document or visa category. There is no information on how long the disruption will last.

Employers with foreign workers who are applying for visa benefits should be aware that this process will most likely be delayed. We will keep you updated as more information regarding this issue becomes available.