General Visa information

Office Hours

Tourist/Business Visa Information

Report Change of Address

Grad 0999 Registration requirements

Travel Information

SEVIS Fee

New Visa Application Procedures

USCIS Fees Increase

Travel Information

Security Clearance

Required for Visa Issuance (for all visa types)

The Department of State has implemented security clearance procedures for the issuance of Non-Immigrant Visas (NIV). There may be significant delays before your visa application is approved. If you need to apply for a new visa stamp, please submit your application to the U.S. Consulate or Embassy as soon as possible after you arrive at your destination overseas. The screening process can be as simple as a name check in the U.S. government databases or it can be more comprehensive and time consuming. Security clearances take a minimum of 20 additional days, however, even the consulate cannot predict the actual processing time for each application. In some cases the security clearance procedure is taking 2 months or longer.

Most commonly, a security screening is triggered by nationality, country of citizenship, countries you have visited in the past, and the field of your study or expertise. Foreign nationals from the following countries are affected by the security clearance process: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. It is not clear whether this list refers to country of birth, citizenship, or residence. Persons most affected by the security clearance process are males between the ages of 16- 45. Some female NIV applicants have experienced delays in the issuance of their visa as well. T he State Department has not officially confirmed the above list or criteria. Other countries and criteria may be added to the above list without notice.

Please note that ISSS cannot intervene on your behalf if you experience any delays due to the security clearance procedures, or if your visa is denied as a result of a security clearance check. The U.S. government views the application for a visa within the context of national security; therefore, ISSS cannot expedite the processing of a visa or advocate on your behalf.