Visa Processing Improvement Act

This bill improves U.S. visa processing for temporary visitors by expanding remote interview options for applicants who can communicate in English, creating a new Consular Fellows Program to recruit multilingual staff (growing 5% annually until 2030), and setting a standard that 80% of nonimmigrant visa applicants must be interviewed within 21 days of applying. It adds a $500 fee (or $50 for minors) for expedited service allowing remote interviews within 14 days, while expanding waiver eligibility for certain visa types like B-1/B-2 travelers who previously held valid visas. The bill also requires consulates to publicly track wait times and implement corrective actions if they miss targets for 90 consecutive days. These changes directly affect applicants seeking temporary U.S. visas, consular offices managing processing, and the State Department’s staffing and technology resources.