Dateline PhiliPPines US Embassy sees record number of visas for

MANILA – The United States Embassy in the Philippines is expecting a record number of visas to be processed in 2023 as the embassy works to restore and improve its operation since the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic in 2019.

During a press conference at the embassy, U.S. Embassy Consul General Mark McGovern said the Consular Affairs Section (CAS) of the embassy is on track to issue up to 330,000 non-immigrant visas for Fiscal Year 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023) compared to 188,000 in 2022.

“Last year, we got around 190,000 and we were at twothirds of our capacity last year,” McGovern said.

The number of non-immigrant visas expected to be issued this year, he said, is higher than the pre-pandemic record of 290,000 issued in 2019.

“We’re really trying our best and we’re thankful for the patience the Filipino public is giving us,” he said.

Pinoys in 2023

The CAS, he said, has not yet been restored to its full capacity of 200 employees but improvements in the work flow have led to more visas being processed per employee.

“A year ago, the wait time for a non-immigrant visa was close to two years. It is now four to five months. We’re looking to lower that to 2 to 3 months by the end of the year,” he said.

He encouraged those with expired visas to have them renewed as visas can now be renewed up to four years past the expiration date.

He noted that the current nonimmigrant visa fee of $185 is the first fee increase in 10 years, with such visas – tourist, student, business, etc. – valid for up to 10 years.

“We have an increase in salaries, importation of visa foils and other materials. The fee increase is a worldwide change, not just in the Philippines,” he said.

Aside from non-immigrant visas, he said the embassy is