Coronavirus and Visa Processing in China

I received a question recently on what is happening with immigrant visa processing in China given the outbreak of novel coronavirus and the various efforts to contain it. I want to share that information here as well in case there are others whose cases have been impacted.

Due to the outbreak the Embassy and all Consulates in China are in a state of partial draw down. The Department has stated publicly that all children of American personnel have been sent back to the U.S. This also, by extension, implies that spouses have also been sent back. It is also possible that some non-essential staff have been sent back or at least have the option of returning, although this is unverified. 

In situations like these normal Embassy functions are halted and this includes visa services and certain non-emergency American Citizen Services. The staff are instead focused on crisis management, which must necessarily focus on providing assistance to American citizens in China. Given the nature of this crisis, the cessation of visa services may also have been intentional to limit the number of people accessing Embassy of Consulate facilities.

There is no hard and fast rule for how long the closures will take place. During a crisis there are task forces set up in Washington which monitor events 24/7 and coordinate across the federal government. Normal visa services won’t likely resume until the State Department feels the situation is sufficiently contained that it is safe enough to return personnel to China. I don't think anyone knows how long that will take. 

There will be a substantial backlog once normal functions resume and applicants whose numerically limited cases were current are likely to experience retrogression. Non-immigrant visa appointments will be in high demand as that backlog clears.

What can you do to stay on top of the situation? The best thing you can do is pay attention to announcements posted at travel.state.gov. The Bureau of Consular Affairs is quick to provide updates as situations evolve. Once the restoration of visa services is announced, contact the Embassy or Consulate handling your case or the National Visa Center to get a case update. If you are experiencing difficulty you can ask The Visa Officer to assist you.