Anthrax Decontamination Effects State Department's Processing of Visa Revalidations

Due to the Anthrax scare, approximately 300 foreign passports and documents that were sent to the State Department for visa revalidation were taken from the mailroom to be decontaminated. It appears these 300 applications were most likely ones that were sent to St. Louis on October 17, 18 or 19^th and which were then processed in St. Louis around Oct. 22 and 23.

On October 25 everything in the Visa Office’s mail room, which included those approximately 300 visa revalidation applications, was taken for decontamination. Unfortunately, this means those 300 applications will be inaccessible until the decontamination is complete. As such, for those affected applications, the normal procedure to request a passport back before processing is complete will not be an option. As the State Department realizes this could have a serious effect on individuals’ travel plans who were expecting their passports and visas to be returned to them, they have put procedures into place for affected individuals.

In order to determine if an application has been effected by this decontamination, individuals may call the Public Inquiries line at (202() 663 – 3211. In addition, if an individual whose application is being decontaminated and the individual needs to travel because of genuine emergency, they may request a letter from the State Department to show their consulates in order to get new passports issued. These letters may be requested also by phoning the Public Inquiry number. These individuals must apply for their U.S. nonimmigrant visas abroad but the State Department has sent an email to U.S. consular posts advising them of the situation and advising them applicants in these situations may only have photocopies of the previous I-94s and I-797 approval notices.

At this point it is not known when the affected passports and documents will be finished with decontamination and returned to the State Department.

For more information go to: http://www.state.gov

Return to GT Immigration Observer Table of Contents