On June 19, the State Department reported a technical issue with the part of its visa processing system that performs security checks and identity verification. While this system is down, U.S. Consulates around the world are not able to issue visas.

The State Department reports that it is working on a variety of solutions to this problem. However, it does not yet have an estimated date for resolution and does not expect a solution before next week. Once the system is back up, though, priority will be given to issuing visas for medical emergencies and humanitarian cases.

Those affected by this situation are advised to monitor the U.S. Consulate and U.S. State Department websites daily. The State Department has created an FAQs page that also includes frequent status updates. You can also visit Artists from Abroad for more information.