13597 in January 2012 to  improve visa processing and travel promotion while continuing to protect  U.S. national security. 13597 contained multiple goals for State and  DHS for processing visitors to the United States, including the following:
Ensure that 80 percent of NIV applicants worldwide are interviewed  within 3 weeks of receipt of application. State Has Undertaken Various Efforts to Improve NIV Processing Capacity and Has Reduced NIV Interview Wait Times

		State Has Implemented Multiple Efforts to Reduce NIV Interview Wait Times

State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs, as well as consular management  officials and consular officers at the four posts we visited, reported that  increased staffing levels, policy changes, and organizational reforms  implemented since 2012 have all contributed to increasing NIV  processing capacity, reducing NIV interview wait times worldwide. 13597’s goals of expanding NIV processing capacity and  reducing worldwide wait times, particularly at U.S. posts in Brazil, China,  India, and Mexico. In response to E.O. 13597),  and January 19, 2013, from 50 to 111 in Brazil, and 103 to 150 in  China, a 122 and 46 percent increase, respectively (see fig. 2 for  additional information on consular staffing increases in Brazil and  China). As a result, State met its goal of increasing its NIV processing  capacity in Brazil and China by 40 percent within a year of the  issuance of E.O. Specifically, as figure 4 shows,  since July 2012, at least 80 percent of B visa applicants worldwide have  been able to obtain an interview within 3 weeks of their application. Rising NIV Demand and Significant Technology Concerns Could Impact State’s NIV Processing Operations

		Projected NIV Demand Increases May Affect the Sustainability of State’s Efforts to Keep Wait Times Low

State projects that the number of NIV applicants will rise worldwide from  12.4 million in fiscal year 2014 to 18.0 million in fiscal year 2019, an  increase of 45 percent. For example, according to State  officials, State is currently hiring to meet vacancies caused by attrition  and is expected to increase the number of consular officers by only 57 in  fiscal year 2015, a 3 percent increase, and not increase consular officers  in fiscal year 2016. State Should Evaluate Its Efforts To Improve NIV Processing Capacity Given Future NIV Demand Projections

According to State officials, efforts implemented since E.O. Furthermore, State’s evaluation policy emphasizes  the importance of evaluations for bureaus to improve their programs and  management processes to inform decision makers about current and  future activities. A systematic  evaluation of efforts by State to reduce NIV interview wait times would  provide a clear indication of the efforts that yield the greatest impact on  NIV processing efficiency and could assist the agency in continuing to  meet the goals of E.O. State Does Not Systematically Obtain End User Input to Prioritize Improvement Efforts for Current IT Systems

Although consular officers and managers we spoke with identified CCD  and the NIV system as one of the most significant challenges to the  efficient processing of NIVs, State does not systematically measure end  user (i.e., consular officers) satisfaction. According to Commerce, international travelers  contributed $220.6 billion to the economy and supported 1.1 million jobs  in 2014. Document a plan for obtaining end user (i.e., consular officers) input  to help improve end user satisfaction and prioritize enhancements to  information technology systems. Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

This report reviews Department of State’s (State) nonimmigrant visa (NIV)  processing operations and provides an update on the status of the goals  in Executive Order (E.O.) Specifically, this report examines (1) the  efforts State has undertaken to expand capacity and reduce NIV  applicants’ interview wait times and the reported results to date, and (2)  the challenges that impact State’s ability to efficiently process NIVs. To determine the challenges that impact State’s ability to efficiently  process NIVs, we reviewed relevant documents, including State planning  and NIV demand projections, interviewed State, DHS, and Commerce  officials in Washington, D.C., including officials from State’s Office of  Inspector General, and conducted focus groups with consular officers.
Why GAO Did This Study

International travel and tourism contributed $220 billion to the U.S. economy and supported 1.1 million jobs in 2014, according to the Department of Commerce. A portion of those travelers to the United States were required to obtain an NIV. After a period in which travelers experienced extensive waits in obtaining a required interview for an NIV in 2011, the President issued E.O. 13597 in 2012 to improve visa and foreign visitor processing, while continuing to protect U.S. national security. The E.O. set goals for State to increase NIV processing capacity in Brazil and China and reduce NIV interview wait times for applicants worldwide. This report examines (1) efforts State has undertaken to expand capacity and reduce NIV applicants' interview wait times and the reported results to date and (2) challenges that impact State's ability to efficiently process NIVs. GAO analyzed State's historical and forecast NIV data and interviewed State officials in Washington, D.C., and consular officers and management in Brazil, China, India, and Mexico. These countries represent the four highest demand countries for U.S. NIVs.

What GAO Found

Since 2012, the Department of State (State) has undertaken several efforts to increase nonimmigrant visa (NIV) processing capacity and decrease applicant interview wait times. Specifically, it has increased consular staffing levels and implemented policy and management changes, such as contracting out administrative support services. According to State officials, these efforts have allowed State to meet the goals of Executive Order (E.O.) 13597 of increasing its NIV processing capacity by 40 percent in Brazil and China within 1 year and ensuring that 80 percent of worldwide NIV applicants are able to schedule an interview within 3 weeks of State receiving their application. Specifically, State increased the number of consular officers in Brazil and China by 122 and 46 percent, respectively, within a year of the issuance of E.O. 13597. Additionally, according to State data, since July 2012, at least 80 percent of worldwide applicants seeking a tourist visa have been able to schedule an interview within 3 weeks.
Two key challenges—rising NIV demand and problems with NIV information technology (IT) systems—could affect State's ability to sustain the lower NIV interview wait times. First, State projects the number of NIV applicants to rise worldwide from 12.4 million in fiscal year 2014 to 18.0 million in fiscal year 2019, an increase of 45 percent (see figure).
Given this projected NIV demand and budgetary limits on State's ability to hire more consular officers at posts, State must find ways to achieve additional NIV processing efficiencies or risk being unable to meet the goals of E.O. 13597 in the future. Though State's evaluation policy stresses that it is important for bureaus to evaluate management processes to improve their effectiveness and inform planning, State has not evaluated the relative effectiveness of its various efforts to improve NIV processing. Without conducting a systematic evaluation, State cannot determine which of its efforts have had the greatest impact on NIV processing efficiency. Second, consular officers in focus groups expressed concern about their ability to efficiently conduct adjudications given State's current IT systems. While State is currently enhancing its IT systems, it does not systematically collect information on end user (i.e., consular officer) satisfaction to help plan and guide its improvements, as leading practices would recommend. Without this information, it is unclear if these enhancements will address consular officers' concerns, such as having to enter the same data multiple times, and enable them to achieve increased NIV processing efficiency in the future.

What GAO Recommends

To improve State's ability to process NIVs, while maintaining a high level of security to protect our borders, GAO is recommending that State (1) evaluate the relative impact of efforts undertaken to improve NIV processing and (2) document a plan for obtaining input from end users (consular officers) to help improve their satisfaction and prioritize enhancements to IT systems. State concurred with both recommendations.