Further to my message of May 28, I am pleased to share that various news sources have reported that the pause on scheduling visa appointments has been lifted. We expect an official announcement in this regard from the U.S. Department of State in the coming days.

AFS-USA staff have been in close contact with our AFS Network Partners overseas since the pause began to ensure that all visa applications are in order so that participants are poised to secure an interview as soon as appointments become available. We also asked them to instruct participants to check for available visa appointments daily at a minimum. With these proactive measures, we expect our participants who have not yet obtained an interview slot to be well-positioned to move forward with their visa application process.

We recognize the stress and anxiety the pause may have caused for volunteers, participants, host families, and our partners, and we thank you for your patience, and efforts to reassure host families and applicants, as we waited for this brief yet intense storm to pass. Despite the pause, we are well ahead in terms of the numbers of visas and visa appointments secured this year vs. years past, and we are all relieved that this forward movement will continue.

Thank you for your continued efforts toward securing host family placements for all of our students.

With warm regards,

Tara Hofmann
CEO and President
AFS-USA