The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has published updated information regarding the performance issues with the Consular Consolidated Database (CCD). As discussed in our July 24, 2014 Alert, a computer glitch caused the CCD to crash, resulting in world-wide delays in visa and passport processing. The DOS has stated that it has made significant progress and has eliminated most of the worldwide backlog of nonimmigrant visa cases. It will continue to prioritize immigrant visas, adoption cases and emergency nonimmigrant visas. According to the DOS, visa applicants may still experience delays of up to a week in addition to normal processing times.
Employers can monitor the status of the processing issue on the agency's website, http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/english.html. The DOS has also published Frequently Asked Questions regarding the delay, which are available on the website.
