Some numbers on the NVC backlog

[RamonGomez 271]

Not sure if those was posted, but the backlog at NVC is absolutely staggering. The article in the link below was published less than two weeks ago: "The number of immigrant visa cases pending interviews at the National Visa Center (NVC) increased to 473,000 in February, from 75,000 in January 2020."

 

This also doesn't include cases waiting to be interviewed or incomplete cases: that this number doesn’t include the entirety of that queue. It doesn’t include cases already at embassies and consulates that have not yet been interviewed or applicants still gathering the necessary documents before they can be interviewed, and also, of course, petitions awaiting USCIS approval.”

 

https://www.boundless.com/blog/overseas-green-card-backlog-surges/

 

 

[RamonGomez 271]

Just talked to my friend who is stuck in the process trying to bring his wife over here. It's heartbreaking that my he may end up leaving the US and re-starting his life in his wife's home country, perhaps filing another I-130 once things return to normal in a few years.

 

According to the article above, there are more than 6 times as many cases waiting for an interview as there would be just prior to Covid. So, if as an example there would normally be 10,000 cases waiting for an interview in Manilla, there are now over 60,000 cases. This assumes the proportions of applications by country post and pre-covid are roughly the same.

 

Unless something changes, the wait times are going to be catastrophic. If it used to take 2 months to get an interview from DQ, that means it's now going to take 12+ months for those at the end of the queue. At some consulates it was already taking 6+ months to get an interview pre-covid. And there's probably a ton of pent up demand for other visa types as well like B1/B2, F1, etc. that don't go through NVC which are going to bog down the consulates.

 

I just don't see how how we dig ourselves out of this, without a major overhaul, like a major increase in staffing and overtime (slow and expensive), longer hours including weekend interview appointments, generous interview waivers, etc.